


His Queen

by VestalDestroyer



Category: Bakugan Battle Brawlers
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Canon Compliant, Canon Rewrite, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, M/M, Psychoanalysis, Romance, Science Boyfriends, Trans Female Character, WARNINGS:, almost, eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:15:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23474515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VestalDestroyer/pseuds/VestalDestroyer
Summary: The story of what happened behind the scenes of the episodes of Bakugan Battle Brawlers: New Vestroia and after.
Relationships: Alice Gehabich/Lync Volan, Gus Grav/Spectra Phantom | Keith Fermin, Mylene Farrow/Shadow Prove
Comments: 10
Kudos: 28





	1. Meeting with Reality

**Author's Note:**

> This story was already here, I deleted it because I felt insecure about it. I found out that nothing I have written since isn't nearly as good as this, so I would like to publish it again, with some major edits.
> 
> I hope you'll like it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spectra thought he was emotionless, but his servant is just too cute.

_'I had nowhere left to go. I was beaten and broken. I was asking for a sign. I was not expecting an answer. I was talking to a picture, after all. Why was I talking to a picture in the first place? This photo of Pyrus Viper Helios had captivated me the first time I entered this arena. To me, it was a representation of my dream. But that day, my dreams were shattered into pieces._

_Spectra was absolutely right. I was completely outclassed by his power. I lost the battle and my life lost its meaning. I asked for a sign. I needed a new goal. I saw something. Was it real? Or was I just seeing things? The eyes were shining!'_

_"So, you see it too, do you?" Gus heard a voice behind him. It startled him, he did not notice anyone approaching. But he was not afraid. It felt like his entire self was being pulled towards that person._

_"Yes," he breathed and turned around. He could not believe his eyes. It was him. His dream, his goal. His idol. Spectra Phantom. He was really there, standing in front of him, way closer than he ever dared to imagine him to be._

_Even outside of battle, with his frightening Bakugan and all of his ruthless tactics aside, anyone could tell that Spectra was very, very dangerous. But surprisingly, and even though he mercilessly crushed me and my Bakugan in the arena just a few moments ago, his presence did not scare Gus in the slightest, quite the contrary. He was attracted to it._

_Spectra extended his hand towards Gus and at that moment, he forgot to breathe. He was overwhelmed by his power. His past flashed in front of his eyes. Hid parents, his school, his career, everything he abandoned to follow his dream, which Spectra burned to ashes in a few minutes. But now, all of that was gone and from those ashes arose his future._

_"You have been chosen! Join me, and we will fight for a new world, Gus! Together we will remake New Vestroia!" Gus wanted to accept his hand. Never in his life has he wanted anything so desperately. But he could not move his body._

_Spectra interpreted his lack of response as hesitation, so he made a final appeal. "What shall it be, Gus? Do you dare grab the future for your own?" Gus dropped on his knees._

_'I was a fool to hope I could ever be his equal. He was unreachable._

_I made a decision to follow him, not because I was seeking power or glory, but simply because I wanted to make all of his goals come true. I wanted him to look at me. I wanted him to acknowledge me. I wanted him to trust me.'_

_He bowed his head and pledged his loyalty to Spectra silently. He did not say a word, but his new master understood._

_'From that moment on, I was committed to master Spectra and his vision of united New Vestroia. Bakugan battles were no longer just a game to me, but a means to a very important end. With each battle, I would help build a world more beautiful and powerful than ever imagined. Together with master Spectra, anything is possible.'_

#### Episode 57 - Taste of Defeat

When Gus entered the meeting room in Beta City, the other members of the Vexos were already there. Except for Spectra, of course. He usually only attended the meetings he called himself, the rest was of less importance to him. That was just who he was. If Hydron found out, he could get into serious trouble, which is why Gus respected this part of him a lot. His master always dared to resist the higher-ups, be it prince Hydron, or even the king himself.

Since Gus was the one calling the meeting and Spectra was absent, it was up to him to lead it. He made sure his step is even, his posture evokes respect and his voice is calm and as emotionless as possible.

"Thank you for meeting here on such short notice."

"Yeah, yeah, cut to the chase!" Lync was more annoyed than usual since he was just about to go to sleep when the meeting interrupted him.

"All I can say is, this better be important!" Shadow shot his weak threat towards Gus. The timing was unfortunate even for him and Mylene because they sleep this early in the morning (like any normal person should).

"I am sure Gus has a good reason, right Gus?" Mylene's threatening tone was a bit scary, especially since her make-up was put on very hurriedly, and she had yesterday's eyeliner still smudged under her eyes. "Why have you dragged us here?" Everyone could hear the eloquent 'this early' she was implying.

Just like Volt, Gus did not feel the need to respond to their obvious annoyance. He was used to the animosity the Vexos expressed towards him and his master, and he did not hesitate to support it by waking all of them up at 6:30 am just to laugh at them.

"You should know. You are here because all of you have failed," he smirked.

\---

Spectra was just heading to talk to the arena staff when he overheard a conversation in the meeting room. He did recall Gus calling a meeting a few minutes ago, but he was not really interested until he heard Gus introduce the topic.

"What do you mean by that, freak?" Shadow screeched.

"As I have said," Gus answered calmly.

"You're asking for it!"

From the mocking tone, Spectra immediately understood that he was trying to force the Vexos into better performance by making fun of them, which was not a bad idea. Spectra had to appreciate the creativity of his... _friend? servant? Ugh, whatever. A thinking topic for later. For now, just focus on the meeting._

\---

Spectra entered the room and Gus had to smile, despite the confusion he felt. _Spectra is attending his meeting!_

"Gus means that from now on, we cannot afford to lose another battle." Gus was really glad to receive Spectra's support. His presence was enough to get the Vexos' full attention. With his firm voice, he was as fearsome as ever.

"Next time I'll demolish them before they load their gauntlets," Shadow opposed, but it sounded pathetic. Lync strengthened this impression.

"Didn't you lose three Bakugan to them?"

"What's your point?" Shadow wanted to continue arguing, but Mylene cut both of them off.

"Stop bickering, you fools!"

"That's it!" Spectra made them all shut up. In the following silence, Gus saw an opportunity he could not afford to miss.

"If I may speak, master Spectra," he started cautiously with a slight bow of his head. He did not want to anger him any further. As his master's eyes pierced his forehead, he felt very satisfied that all of his attention is directed towards him.

"Go ahead, Gus," Spectra nodded.

"Please allow me to go next." With all the strength he had, Gus forced himself to look directly into Spectra's eyes. "I will prove to you that this upstart brawler resistance can be beaten." He felt nothing but pride when his master gave him an affirmative nod and left. The faith he had in him was the best reward he could get for the years of service.

Everyone left the meeting room and got back to their work, annoyed that this meeting turned out to be yet another display of power by Spectra and his pet.

\---

Vexos were currently staying in Beta City, while the Resistance was in the surroundings of Alpha. That was a bother for Gus, having to fly so far just to have a little chat with Dan, but he needed to ensure his victory. While the ship was recharging, he was just walking through the Beta Arena. He hated that place, it was filled with memories of his past. But since they were staying in Beta until tomorrow, the arena was their temporary headquarters. Luckily, they will be able to go back to their normal station soon.

He did not expect to find Spectra in front of the Helios portrait.

"You are back. What did you find out from your encounter with the resistance?" Spectra asked, his eyes not leaving the wall. Gus was quite sure he was just being polite, and the hint of curiosity he heard was just his imagination.

"Their newest battle brawler is nothing more than an amateur," he answered as neutrally as a proper servant should. _'I tried to mess with his mind a little, but he was too stupid to get it,'_ is what Gus meant to say, but it would sound pathetic if master found out that one of his best skills he was quite proud of did not work.

"Be careful, Gus, do not underestimate Dan Kuso," Spectra warned, but Gus sensed that he was implying something else. _Did he actually care for Gus? No, he just hates to lose._

"He is nothing but a child," Gus assured him.

"He may prove to be our greatest opponent," Spectra smirked and Gus immediately understood what he meant by that.

"Then it is also possible that he could prove to be our greatest ally. You and only you can bring our worlds together, I will make them understand," he promised and smiled a little for himself when he saw his master nod in approval.

\---

Spectra then turned around and left. There was no need to answer, Gus had just read his mind and gave himself the orders. It was always like this. He always knew what Spectra wanted and did not hesitate to do anything to fulfil his wishes. 

He also had a special ability to get into someone's mind and twist it to his own liking, which Spectra greatly appreciated. It was a big help when Gus defeated their opponent like this before the battle even started. 

Despite him having a sneaky skill like that, he would never use it on Spectra. When they were together, he was polite, yet honest and straightforward, which Spectra valued a lot. Usually, people would never let their guard down in his presence, but Gus did, always and automatically, like it was a completely natural thing to do. The relationship between them grew a lot stronger as of lately, since their goal seemed to get closer. They had to stick together to prevent any intrusions from both prince Hydron and the Vexos. 

Spectra realized that his thoughts were on Gus once again. This happened way too often recently. His mind showed him a memory of the day he met Gus for the first time.

He caught his interest already when he first heard of him. Gus Grav, a rising star from Beta City, a Subterra brawler who miraculously defeated all of his opponents so far and earned the right to face a Vexos member. Since he had just recently scouted a Haos and a Ventus brawler for the Vexos, Subterra was the only missing attribute in his team, so he decided to take on this challenger by himself.

His first impression was nothing much. A cute young boy, apparently from a good family. He thought the name Grav sounded familiar, he just could not remember where he heard it. The only thing that caught the eye was his waist-long wavy blue hair that made him look more like a girl.

Despite his appearance, he was strong enough to withstand his first few attacks without a scratch. That was something, even though Spectra was just playing around. He was focused on the battlefield and his counterattacks were elaborate and thoroughly planned. He was still new to this, but he had a natural talent to predict his opponent's moves and was using it subconsciously. There was something in the way he battled Spectra could completely feel with because he was the same: This boy was not fighting just for fun. There was a bigger purpose behind it. He wanted to prove something to somebody. Maybe to himself.

Spectra remembered clearly how the crowd cheered when Vulcan shielded yet another attack and countered with a precise punch into Helios' stomach. Of course, he did not land it. So far, Helios managed to defend himself against all of his attacks as well. They were both standing there as if the battle had yet to start. Spectra decided to get serious.

'Let's see if you can handle this!' was what crossed his mind as he activated a triple ability. Vulcan flew away and was defeated, but the crowd was silent. It did not feel like a victory at all to Spectra, however, Gus seemed to have his world crumble apart in front of his eyes as he left the arena.

It was not pity that made Spectra want to have this young man by his side. He decided so already halfway through the battle because of the skill he showed. It was raw and uncultivated, but Spectra knew that once it is polished, he would not want Gus to be his opponent.

He did not know why he could not just offer him a place in the Vexos as he did with Volt and Lync. He always followed his instincts rather than his brain, since that has failed him multiple times in the past. But when he saw the admiration, respect, commitment, and devotion in Gus' eyes as he knelt in front of him, he was glad he said what he did.

Now that he was looking back at this moment, he saw that there was something more than gaining a powerful ally that made him want to have Gus follow him. He decided he will find out what his relationship with Gus is, so he tried to sum up his feelings towards him as he headed for the training room. He knew Gus will take his time to slowly and painfully crush the resistance while taking control over their minds, and he decided to work out in the meantime because he had nothing better to do and he needed to do his daily workout anyway. He locked the door behind himself. 

_'Gus is my best servant,'_ thought Spectra and took off his coat, folding it carefully on an elegant pile at the door along with his shirt and mask. A servant-master relationship was definitely a part of what they shared for sure. But it was by far not all.

 _'He is also my colleague and teammate, and we share a goal. We work together to achieve it,'_ he specified, but this description was not very accurate either. 

_'I like being with him.'_ He admitted, but it was still not enough. He felt like there is more to it.

 _'I like him, he is a friend of mine.'_ No. _'A really good friend, we are very close.'_ Something felt off. They were not exactly what could be described as friends. There was something else between the two of them, something stronger. Something about how he made his days brighter. Something that made him realize that he can feel more emotions than he ever imagined. Something that changed his life forever. Something that made his brain stop. Something that made his heart race every time he saw him. Something that made him want to be together for the rest of their lives.

He started his warm-up. He has to solve this mystery. He relaxed his body as he stretched and tried to think. There was more to it, for sure. Spectra had a feeling that he knew the right word, but he would never admit it to himself. He was afraid of it. The word was heavy and serious, like a thick chain binding you to a huge rock. 

He went on with his training routine, performing every move with his natural grace and precision. Every motion was fluent and coordinated with the others, showing his strength to anyone watching.

On Vestal, they valued this kind of relationship a lot, and they knew that if they feel like this towards someone, either they will be forever with that person or forever alone. It was natural for any young adult to be afraid of it, especially for a free spirit like Spectra, who always thought of himself as emotionless.

He froze as the realization hit him.

"I love him," he whispered. The words fell out of his mouth like a boulder, followed by immediate denial. He continued his exercise, movements significantly faster, channelling his energy into his surroundings.

No. That is ridiculous. A man could never have this feeling towards another man. Impossible. A proper Vestal would never think about a love relationship other than that between a man and a woman (and that could be one of the reasons for the overpopulation they have). He must have misinterpreted it. There was absolutely no way he, the leader of the Vexos, could fall in love. But deep inside, he knew it was love all along.

Spectra reached for his towel. Naming his feelings did not help at all since he had no idea how to deal with them. He threw the towel against the wall in an attempt to relieve the frustration. He was angry. At himself. For falling in love. And as if it was not bad enough, with a man. And there was no way back.

His gauntlet reported that Gus has returned. Spectra hid his panic and feelings under his mask, got dressed, and headed into the main hall. 

\---

"I have brought you victory, my master, as promised," Gus announced as he knelt before Spectra. Did he just seriously say 'my master'? That must have sounded weird. Why did he say that? He masked his feelings masterly, just like always when Spectra or the Vexos were around.

"Well done, Gus. You have brought pride back to the Vexos." The others were making stupid comments out of envy, but Gus did not care. All that he was interested in was that warm feeling around his heart as his master praised him. What was that?


	2. Noticing Facts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gus is too honest. Fortunately.

#### Episode 58 - Return of a friend

In the evening they had to send a report to the prince. Both Spectra and Gus hated it. They had to do this every day and it was something Hydron came up with just to have the feeling that he is the one in charge and has control over Spectra and the Vexos. 

"Well okay then. I'm counting on you, Spectra. It would be unwise to disappoint me. I expect to hear good news from you soon." Gus felt horrible. Because his victory was still a failure, master Spectra had to listen to all of this mockery from the child prince.

"You spoiled little brat," Spectra whispered angrily after the call ended and perfectly summed up both his and Gus' feelings towards Hydron. 

"I take complete responsibility, master. My failure has caused you to be in continued disfavour." Gus bowed his head in shame. Master Spectra is going to hate him for this one. He was always afraid that he will make a mistake that will make Spectra never want to trust him ever again, and this was it.

"Not so. You accomplished much, Gus." Or not? Was his master comforting him or was he just imagining it? Gus sighed mentally. No matter how hard he tries, he will never be able to keep up with Spectra's train of thought. His way of thinking was far out of his league. What did he accomplish? What was Spectra referring to? The only answer Gus could think of was the small plan to make the Vexos try harder he attempted today in the morning meeting. 

"Our spoiled little prince is just throwing a childish tantrum. He wants his new toy." And we need to show the Vexos how it is supposed to be done. Gus realised where his master was going and interrupted cautiously. 

"Careful, master. You never know who could be listening in on us," he warned. 

"Let them listen. Come, there is much to do." _(Master Spectra was so brave!)_

"Of course, master Spectra."

Back to work. Send a message to Dan and challenge him again tomorrow. This time, he will win and get the Dragonoid. His master will be watching him, so he has to show him how much he improved since their first battle.

\---

He was doing his best defeating Dan when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He gasped.

"I'll handle this, Gus," Spectra said, pushing him aside. This took Gus by surprise. True, he was slightly distracted by Spectra's presence and lost a round, but he was still winning. And he was concentrated on the battle and... Who was he even lying to? Slightly distracted? His attention was split between his master and the battlefield so much that he almost spaced out a few times in the second round.

"This is my battle!" He said that, but he did not mind his master taking over. Gus had a lot on his mind right now, so he could not fight properly anyway. 

_But why was he even distracted?_ No, that was not a question adequate for the situation. More like: _Why did that strange warm feeling return when Spectra touched him? Why did that confident smirk make his heart beat faster?_ He did not understand it. _Spectra was an amazing person, no doubt about that. He was brave and confident, not even the least bit intimidated by any opponent. He was also very intelligent and always found a solution to any problem. He had a goal he was determined to achieve at any cost, and this goal was what Gus admired the most. Spectra was so noble and he cared for the people of Vestal so much, that he decided to sacrifice everything he has to stand up and fight against everything that could be a threat to them. He gathered a lot of power only so that it does not get into wrong hands._

_But Gus did not pledge his loyalty to him and decided to become a servant because he was afraid of him. He did it because he respected and admired Spectra greatly. He always used to be looked up to, but Spectra was way above him. He wanted to support him, he wanted to be by his side, he wanted him to be free to achieve his goal, he wanted him to be unstoppable. Spectra deserved it. He deserved to have the entire universe on the palm of his hand because then, everything would be perfect. He was perfect._

_Despite being so far above Gus, Spectra was always considerate and thoughtful towards him. He always found time to explain things to Gus or help him with his researches. It was always something small because he did not want to display weakness to the Vexos, but Gus was always eternally grateful for it anyway._

_This was how he felt about Spectra. Respect, admiration, gratitude. Or was there something more?_

\---

_"Gus, you have been working on this for hours. You should get some sleep." Spectra entered his room, placing a glass of water on his desk._

_"Thank you, master Spectra, but I need to finish this. We are going to need it in the future," Gus answered, bowing his head._

_"I am going to need you above all else. Take a break, I will finish it," Spectra said, patting Gus on his head and leaving immediately, not even allowing Gus to reply. As per the order, Gus shut his computer down and went to his bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow._

\---

_No, definitely not. Or was there? Did he...? No way. He does not love master Spectra, does he? He is a man! That is impossible! True, he did think about him a lot. And he was keen on looking good in front of him. He may have also zoned out a few times when Spectra's face got closer than usual and he could not help but admire his strong jawline, elegant nose and beautiful smile. But he did not wonder about how soft his skin must feel... and how handsome his face must look when the mask is removed... and how would his lips taste if he-_

_What? No! How stupid._

He may have devoted himself to master Spectra, but his feelings have gone too far. This was a huge mistake. He regretted it so much, he just wanted the sand under him to open up and bury him alive. He would deserve it. 

Falling in love is always life-changing, but in this case in a bad way. It could destroy everything he has worked for. Spectra will probably fire him when he finds out. Would he do that? Gus was not sure. Spectra did value him at least a little, right? Should he leave by himself before Spectra discovers this horrible truth?

_No, how silly._ He has to be there for his master. As he promised. Until the end. He will not allow his stupid feelings to stand in the way of his master's goal. But there was one more thing. He also promised to be always honest with his master. He has to tell him. _But is it necessa-?_

"Burning Dragon plus Burning Tornado and don't forget fusion ability Pyrus Slayer!" Dan's shouting pulled Gus out of his thoughts back to reality.

"What the...! That's a triple ability!" Gus ran to help his master.

"Bakugan, brawl!"

\---

They lost. It was partially because Dan had another brawler by his side and somehow managed to summon the power of the Perfect Core, but mostly because Spectra was distracted. Of course, the Dragonoid had some amazing power and he thought about how he could use it in his favour instead of letting it become a statue for Hydron, but another half of his mind was still spinning around Gus. 

He found out on their way here how pretty his blue-haired servant was and since then, he could not stop watching him. True, when he was battling, he did not seem to be his usual self and it was not a good look on him, but still. If someone told him a few days ago that he would be so attracted to someone, let alone a man, he would have thrown him out of the window. But right now, he could only think of the sharp curve of Gus' nose, those deep eyes and exhilarating smile. The way back to Beta City was torture to Spectra. He was afraid that Gus will notice him staring, but he seemed to be lost in his thoughts too.

After their ship landed in its destination, Spectra requested an early dinner. He wanted to go to sleep earlier. He validated that decision with his usual statement that the battle was tough and tiring and they have to be ready for tomorrow, purposefully avoiding the fact that their only program was to visit the Alpha Arena to wave the fans. Those were all excuses. He just needed some time to sort his thoughts and that was best done while laying in bed and staring at the ceiling. In the safety of his room, where there was no Gus to distract him.

\---

The dinner was filled with a heavy silence, but Gus did not mind, and apparently, neither did his master. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. _'He was probably still thinking about Drago,'_ Gus thought. Even he spent the entire time thinking. He should tell master Spectra how he feels because he has no heart to deny him the truth. He has the right to know.

After they both finished eating, Spectra stood up and headed for the Vestal Destroyer, docked on the side of the lake surrounding the city. And since Gus wanted to do the same and their rooms were next to each other, he followed Spectra through the hallways. For some reason, they ended up walking around the portrait of Helios.

This was a sign. He knew that this is the opportunity he has been waiting for. They are alone and no one should be watching them. He has to tell him now. He took a deep breath.

"Master Spectra?" He started.

"Yes?" Spectra stopped right in front of that picture and to Gus' surprise, he turned around to face him. _No, no, no, no, no! Gus was so not ready for this! Why is Spectra looking at him? He wanted to talk to his back! That would be safer._

"There is something I need to tell you." He gathered all courage he could find in him and looked into Spectra's eyes. _There is no way back, just say it._ "I have fallen for you the day you invited me to join you." After he said that, he could not face his master any longer. He wanted to disappear, he wanted to never have said this sentence in the first place, but most importantly, he wanted to hear an answer. _'Just do it, master. Shout at me, throw me away, hate me, hurt me, whatever. But do it now, the silence is killing me.'_

He heard Spectra's steps heading towards him. This was his death sentence. "I know it is weird to feel that way since I am just a servant, a male one at that, but I just wanted you to know-" He tried to defend himself, but was interrupted by the beep sound indicating that Spectra took off his mask. Gus has never seen his master without it before, so he looked up only to realise his face was just a few centimetres away from Spectra's. Gus' heart skipped a few beats at his master's beauty, but he did not have much time to think about his breathtaking crystal blue eyes, because they fell closed as Spectra leaned even closer. 

Gus was shocked. He never dared to even hope his master could feel the same way about him, but here it was. His lips parted slightly and he felt blood rush into his cheeks as his heartbeat picked up speed. The temperature in the hallway seemed to have risen a few degrees, but his brain was frozen and he could not comprehend what was going on. 

That was until Spectra's lips brushed his. His eyes closed and he leaned into the touch. They were motionless at first, drowning in the wild swirl of feelings this simple connection induced. Then, Gus took the initiative and slowly made an effort to move, causing another wave of unknown emotions. Spectra reacted and they began to cautiously explore this new territory. Gus did not realise until now that he was holding his breath the entire time, letting it out in a small puff against Spectra's lips. His heart was beating as fast as if he just tried to outrun Vulcan and his insides were twisting and turning in an unfamiliar, yet still pleasant way.

After a few seconds that felt like forever, they split. There was just heavy silence. Both of them were trying to catch their breath, calm their hearts and fight back the vibrant colour from their faces. Neither of them dared to open their eyes yet. 

Spectra was the first one to break the silence.

"Gus," he started slowly, trying to form all of his feelings into words. He was looking at the floor. "Ever since that day, you have always been by my side, supporting me and pushing me towards my goal." He paused to look into Gus' eyes and smile, which was the most beautiful thing Gus has ever seen in his life. "It took me quite a while to realise that I cannot go forward without you anymore. I love you too." Spectra's words have taken Gus by surprise. Even though they just kissed, he still could not believe it. It was so perfect, almost like a dream. He felt like he tried to jump off a bridge and found out he could fly. And he had no idea how to answer because he never thought of this scenario. Luckily, his master understood the position he was in (like he always did) and helped him out. Neither of them could look up, but Spectra said quietly:

"You know that this is going to be impossible, right?" The sad undertone was evident, and Gus knew he was right. _What was he even thinking? What did he think he could achieve by confessing his feelings? There was no way they could just go on a date or something._ But Gus was not insecure about their future like Spectra was. There was one thing he knew for a long time:

"Together with you, master Spectra, anything is possible," he said, giving his master an encouraging smile. His eyes widened at the sudden compliment, then looked back down and he smiled shyly. Gus had no idea that Spectra was able to display such a wide range of emotions once he removed his mask, but he found himself falling in love with each one of these expressions.

"Stop calling me _master Spectra_. When we are in private, just call me-" Gus did not know he had the nerve to do this, but he interrupted his master by placing his finger on the lips he had just kissed _(kissed!)_. 

"I will call you _master Spectra_ because that is the name of the person I know and love. Besides, it is a name you created yourself, with your own power, so it is better than anything you received from your parents. That is the reason you are using a pseudonym, right?" Gus immediately regretted saying this. _That was so rude! How dare he interrupt his master when he is talking?_ He pulled his finger away as if he got burned and wanted to step back, but Spectra's gloved hand shot up and caught his, which made his entire body freeze. _Spectra was holding his hand!_

In one slow motion, Spectra put his hand down, his smile showing Gus that he does not mind being interrupted this way at all. They left their fingers intertwined longer than necessary, but they had to let go. Spectra looked into Gus' eyes one last time before he turned away and put his mask back on.

Gus understood. Spectra was afraid that someone could be watching them. They were just standing in a hallway. They were out of sight of the nearest surveillance camera, but they still had to be careful. The mask showed that a cleaning lady is scheduled to walk in here in a few minutes, so Gus stepped aside from Spectra and they continued walking to their rooms as if nothing happened.

_But a lot has happened!_

Gus locked himself in his bedroom and after he took off his jacket and boots, he threw himself on the bed and buried his face in the pillow. There was a lot to process. He confessed his feelings to Spectra. That was fine, he meant for that to happen. What he did not see coming was what happened afterwards. 

First of all, Spectra likes him back. And kissed him. And showed him his face. He was handsome. Gus could not get that image out of his mind. Those gorgeous eyes. It was such a pity he had to hide them all the time. And that smile? Gus would do anything to see him smiling like that every day.

He hugged his pillow and squeezed it tightly, suppressing an excited squeal. His bare feet kicked against the mattress. This was the best day of his life.

\---

When the lock of his bedroom clicked closed, Spectra felt a wave of relief wash over him. Finally, he can think about everything in peace. He put his jacket and boots into the wardrobe and his gloves, shirt and mask on the bedside table.

With his finger pressed towards his lips in a slight smile, he fell back-first onto the bed, thinking about Gus' words. And face. And lips. And this cute bipolar personality, how he switched from shy to brave, he did not know about. Gus was so amazing, how come he did not notice before? They have been working together for, how long, eight years? 

Spectra was also very surprised with the strength of the trust they felt towards each other. This bond was now completely unbreakable. He trusted Gus so much that he almost told him his real name and he was really glad that he stopped him. It was too soon, but he found himself trusting this boy so much that he wanted him to know everything: about his mother, father, sister and everything that happened in his past. Maybe he would become the only person who would understand him. One day, he will tell him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely comments! They make me want to continue!


	3. Having Responsibility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spectra and Gus just wanted to have a nice day, but the Resistance has a different idea.

#### Episode 59 - Cyber Nightmare, Episode 60 - What's the plan? and Episode 61 - Freedom run

Vestal is a very lively place. The sun never sets there, because before it does, another one rises. The planet never sleeps and everything runs nonstop. Everyone has their own lifestyle and sleeps whenever they want. It varies depending on one's family habits and working hours. The day is divided into four quarters, one for each sun: morning from 6 to 12, afternoon from 12 to 18, evening from 18 to 24 and night from 0 to 6. 

Even on New Vestroia, vestals use their time system. They were very surprised when they found out that it gets dark in the evening and night, but the cities are equipped with artificial lighting.

This time system is very practical for everyone, except for the people who have to rule over this mess.

Even though the Vexos were supposed to work as a group, the differences between them and their refusing to make compromises and change their habits made it almost impossible. After the invasion of New Vestroia, Spectra put their habits together and came up with a plan to improve it. He split the Vexos into three pairs, each of them assigned to a city.

Spectra and Gus were morning persons, up at six and ready to face the day. Even though they were mainly brawlers, they were scientist as well and therefore in charge of Gamma City and its Bakugan Research Facility. Also, it was logical that the two best brawlers will be the ones closest to the royal palace. They lived in Vestal Destroyer docked on the surface near the city and operated everything from there.

Shadow usually woke up at ten, just to annoy Mylene who wanted to sleep until noon. They lived in a flat in Beta City. There was no particular reason why those two were together in that certain city. Mylene just wanted to live in Beta because she liked it and Shadow wanted to be with Mylene.

Lync had a similar sleeping cycle to the royal family, a complete opposite of the other Vexos, waking up at twenty in the evening and going to sleep at three in the night. Everyone suspected that he and Hydron plotted this on purpose to annoy Spectra with requests at midnight. He was assigned together with Volt to Alpha just because they have been left over. They had two small flats next to each other right at the arena.

Lync spent most of his time in professor Clay's laboratory in Alpha City, where he worked even before he became a member of the Vexos. Sure, the Vexos were allowed to have hobbies, Spectra and Gus also did some science as a side-job, but Lync often neglected his duties as a Vexos to stay either in the lab or at Hydron's palace for whatever reason.

Therefore, Volt was forced to manage the city by himself. He was the I'll-sleep-when-I'm-dead type of person and put all of his time and effort into the city. Compared to other Vexos (and Zenoheld) who only did the necessary things and could not care less about their people, Volt was a responsible ruler and his people lived in welfare and prosperity.

\---

It was a regular morning for the inhabitants of Vestal Destroyer. Spectra woke up at his usual time. It was a calm night, without any interruptions and he had a nice dream as well, even though he could not remember any of it.

Slowly, the events from yesterday afternoon came on his mind. He blushed at himself in the mirror on his wardrobe door. He had no idea how to act in Gus' presence. It was like his usual confidence vanished and brain stopped working the moment he saw him. He never knew what to do or say. It was embarrassing. _He, the leader of the Vexos, could easily face king Zenoheld or prince Hydron, but facing his boyfriend was a problem?_ His blush deepened. _Boyfriend. That is what they are now, huh?_ He would have never thought that he will ever call someone this way.

Spectra caught himself staring at the door between Gus' and his bedroom. Their rooms had each a door to the hallway, but there was also a door connecting their rooms, just in case. And someone (it could only be one person) knocked at it. Spectra's heart skipped a beat.

"May I come in, master Spectra?" Gus' voice was barely above a whisper. Spectra automatically reached for his mask, but stopped himself and decided not to wear it. It would be weird. But he needed to hide his nervousness behind something.

"G-go ahead," he answered, his voice shaking. He ordered himself to stop it and took a deep breath to regain his confidence as Gus entered. It seemed that he did not wake up much earlier than Spectra did. He was only wearing his shirt and pants, he was barefoot and his hair was a bit messy. It was adorable.

"Good morning," Gus smiled and Spectra melted. His brilliant brain just went blank. The only thing he could see and think of was the gorgeous being in front of him. His face formed a lovesick smile.

"Good morning."

"Master, I am sorry to bother you, but could you please help me with the assignment I got from Hydron? There is a problem I am stuck at, and I cannot find a way around it." Gus' apologetic smile made Spectra's heart race, but he realised the weight of the situation and the fact that Gus probably felt the same way he did, which would explain the pink dusting on his cheekbones and how he avoided eye contact.

"Sure, show it to me." As he headed to Gus' room, his brain slowly turned back on and focused on the task at hand. 

He realised that it is okay for him to be a bit shy around Gus. Maybe he does not need his brain. Since when is he relying on his brain anyway? He always did what his instincts told him, and the same should work even with Gus. Their relationship is still the same, just a bit better. 

Gus used to ask him for help like this even before, many times. He was very intelligent, no doubt, but Spectra was always faster and one step ahead. It was very hard for him to make friends because no one ever understood him, but Gus was different. He had a hard time but was the only person who was determined to and actually able to keep up. It was this determination that made Spectra want to help him.

\---

Gus sat down on the chair at his computer and Spectra leaned on the table so that his head was next to Gus'. He showed him how to solve his problem and started explaining it. Gus turned his head to look into Spectra's eyes while he was talking, only to find out how close their faces are. He hated to zone out when he should be concentrating on work, but he could not help but drown in the blue colour. It was not a cold blue like he imagined Spectra's eyes to be. There was a lot of warmth, like the sky on a sunny day without a single cloud in sight.

He tried to concentrate on Spectra's words, but the only thing he could see were his lips. Pink, soft and sweet. He realised that they stopped moving and stayed parted. When he looked up, he found Spectra staring at his lips the same way he did a few seconds prior. Hungry. Gus realised that he was probably staring at Spectra like this ever since he saw him. How could he not? He had his photos all over his bedroom back home. It was his idol, he was always amazed by the way Spectra stood, moved, spoke, gestured. Just with the way he was. Or was it the way he wanted him to be? Their bodies pressed together, limbs entangled, lips intertwined. 

Gus licked his lips and watched Spectra follow that movement, his pupils widening with desire. He realised that these feelings might have been developing in the back of his mind for quite a while. He remembered the way he cheered him on from his room. His parents would never allow him to go see a Bakugan battle, so he just watched all of Spectra's matches on his communication device. Now, he knew that blushing and pressing the device against his chest to calm down a racing heart was not a typical reaction to seeing one's role model. More like a... crush.

The room was completely quiet and Gus made his decision. Stop thinking and start acting.  
He stood up to gain an advantage over his master because he was a bit taller (but no one ever noticed, Spectra looks taller than Gus only because of his hair), pressed him against the wall and kissed him. 

With all of his long-hidden and suppressed feelings now exposed, he was more certain than ever before. He loves this person with all of his heart. The insecurity from yesterday was gone. Gus loved Spectra, whether he liked it or not, and seeing the way Spectra leaned into the embrace and kissed back, he was not exactly indifferent towards Gus either.

Neither of them could breathe much but enjoyed this beautiful feeling nonetheless. They let go after a while, their lips were swollen, body temperature slightly higher than before, and lungs desperately searched for oxygen.

"I love you so much, master Spectra," Gus whispered when he caught his breath, letting his head rest on Spectra's shoulder. The two of them fell into a tight hug.

"I love you too, Gus, more than you can imagine," Spectra whispered into his ear in response. Hearing that sent a shiver down Gus' spine. The tone in which they said it was the same. If Spectra loved him as much as he did him, he could not be happier.

A notification on their gauntlets reminded them, that their breakfast is served. They pulled away from each other, Spectra grabbed his mask and they went into the dining room in silent agreement, but one thing was different from their usual morning routine. Their hands remained connected.

\---

Work is much more fun if you can interrupt it with a kiss or some sweet words from time to time. Time goes by faster as well. Spectra's and Gus' good time ended with a strange noise from the room on the opposite side of the hallway, resembling Shadow's voice.

"What time is it?" Spectra sighed. He remembered that he ordered the ship's personnel to pick up Mylene and Shadow yesterday as well and dock in Alpha City. 

"It's eleven in the morning, you imbecile!" Mylene's scream gave him his answer. Spectra could not understand those two. She was always mean to him, yelling at him and insulting him all the time, yet he followed her everywhere, they spent all of their time together, shared a bedroom on Vestal Destroyer, lived together in the same place, and she did not even seem to be bothered by his presence. Thinking back, they were the first two members of the Vexos, when Zenoheld decided to form this group to help his son on New Vestroia. As to why did the king choose these two, that was a total mystery to Spectra. 

He stood up to do something about them but was interrupted by Gus placing his hand on his shoulder. 

"Do not bother, master," he said as he pulled Spectra back into his chair. He nodded and they both continued working. It would be unwise to restrain them from their daily bickering. 

"But Mylene, we are going to the arena today, remember? You should get ready."

"It's at fifteen. In four hours."

"Only four hours? Will you be able to put all of your make-up on in time? It always takes ages."

"Just be quiet, I'm up already."

\---

Mira was thinking about it for a very long time, but there was no way around it. If they want to free the Bakugan, they need her brother. He is a prominent scientist, he should have all the information they need. He was in the team who designed the three cities. He knows where to strike to destroy the Dimension Controllers once and for all. Without him, their chances of success were very low. They had three humans who had nothing but outdated brawling skills and a lot of determination, Baron, who was not exactly the best brawler New Vestroia had to offer either, and her and Ace, two moderately strong brawlers forming the core of this feeble organisation. Sure, they have managed to free a few Bakugan, but at this rate, they would need billions of years to save all of them. Her brother was the key to victory. She has to find him.

"I can't join you," she told Dan and the others, "there's something I need to take care of, alone." She ran away without waiting for an answer. _She was the leader, after all, she could do whatever she wanted, right?_

She entered a familiar apartment building and used the elevator to rise to the top floor. The password was still the same, so she had no difficulties entering her old home. Memories were flashing through her head with each step further into the foyer. They were happy memories, but she was saddened by them. They made her realise that she might never have a moment like that in her life ever again. The apartment was empty. _It was foolish to think he would be here._

The door on the left led into her room, the one next to it to her father's bedroom, the one in front of her into the common area with a kitchen, dining room and a bathroom. But she walked into the door on the right. Keith's room opened in front of her. _Everything was just the way he left it._ A tear escaped her eye as she swept her hand over her brother's laptop.

She took it onto the desk in the dining room and turned it on. She needed to find something. _There must be some clue here. Something to tell her where he has gone._ She opened a folder with photos and a wave of nostalgia hit her. Keith looked so happy.

"I know... if I just keep looking..." She gasped when she opened a photo of her and her brother in the botanic garden near her workplace. There was something different.

"It's just... I feel like something is wrong..." The photo was taken shortly before Keith disappeared. On the picture, his expression was not happy at all. There was a smile, but it seemed absent and sad on the edges. Maybe he planned his disappearance beforehand? He knew that he will be gone in a few days, and this was his goodbye?

"I hope that he is out there fighting to free the Bakugan like me," she sighed. "What do you think, Wilda? Does that make any sense to you?" Whenever she was doubting herself, she asked her Bakugan partner. He always had an honest answer. But today, he seemed hesitant.

"Well, I..."

"Wilda?" She asked, but then she heard the door slide open. "Who's there?" _Could that be..._

"Mira, you've come back." It was her father. He seemed to be happy to see her. "Well, I'm glad you've come to your senses."

"Never, if it means enslaving the Bakugan!"

"No need to get so upset, Mira." Just like Keith, her father was always looking at the situation from above. "Why can't you just enjoy your good life?"

"No way! That life depends upon the misery of others!"

"Enough." He seemed to be offended.

"Father, where is Keith?" She asked directly. She saw a pained expression flash across his face and he turned away. "Tell me! You know something, don't you?"

"I-I..." His hands and voice were shaking. "Mira, your brother... He's no more," he answered finally. "Please just take my advice and forget that you ever knew him." She could not believe it.

"Monster! How could you?" Did he decide to disown Keith? Why? He did not do anything against him! Or did he?

His communication device rang and he picked up the call.

"Yes? I'm on my way." He ended and walked towards the door, completely ignoring her. She caught his hand.

"Hold it! Are you saying something happened? Tell me!" She begged.

"Pull yourself together!" He threw her on the ground. "Mira, this is all I have to say on the matter. If you know what's good for you, you will clean up and learn to behave." Before the door closed, he added: "Lock up when you leave."

"Father, come back!" She ran after him, but she only managed to see a glimpse of the back of his car.

He treats her like an insolent child. Well, maybe she was acting like one. But she is an adult. And she will prove it. She went back into the apartment, this time into her old room, and took her old lab coat from the otherwise empty wardrobe. She put it on and went out, getting on a taxi.

"Mira Fermin. I want to go where my father is," she ordered the robotic driver.

"Hold on tight!" It answered and the car moved. After a while, it parked in front of the laboratory next to her father's. As expected. She entered the building.

"Ah, Miss Mira, it's been a while," the guards smiled and she waved at them with a fake smile.

"We will begin the experiment immediately," she heard her father and followed him. _What is he up to this time?_

She was not sure which way they went, so she just followed her usual route to the observation deck. As she looked through the glass, she could not believe it.

_What is that thing? It can't be? Vestals creating Bakugan? But why?_

Dan called her and she told him to come here. They needed to see this. But until then, she needed to hide somewhere. She entered an empty room she did not remember.

\---

For once, Lync was sitting in the office with Volt. Not surprisingly, he was not doing anything useful. He was watching Clay's experiment on the surveillance cameras. He was assisting with this project for a long time and finally, it seemed to be nearing completion. He was laughing, and it annoyed Volt to pieces, but then he noticed something. There was someone following Clay since he was at home. He would recognise this person anywhere. The leader of Bakugan Battle Brawlers Resistance, Mira Fermin.

The experiment was a complete success and what was even better, Mira seemed to be hiding on the battlefield. He dialled professor Clay.

"What is it, Lync? I'm working on project Altair and I hate to be disturbed." Professor's annoyed voice responded. Lync was not bothered by that. Because of his high position, he could annoy anyone he wanted and no one could do anything against him.

"As far as I can see, you've just finished," he smirked and jumped off his chair. He walked out of the arena building and stopped a taxi. "And I've got a perfect opportunity to test it. Just leave it to me." He was not asking, and Clay knew that.

"Yes," Clay sighed and ended the call.

"To the lab and fast," he said and the car immediately shot forward at maximum speed. He was at the laboratory in a few seconds. He picked up Altair and walked into the battlefield, turning the lights on to startle the girl.

"Lync!"

He laughed. "You thought you were so smart coming here, Mira," he mocked her. "Your father is a genius, you know? But it's too bad for you that you didn't inherit his brain. We've been following you ever since you went home and you never even noticed! Amateur! Dumb moves like that are why your little crusade is doomed! But I'll help you out. You'd like to see what your father's been up to here, wouldn't you, Mira? Well, take a good long look." He opened his hand. He loved to provoke her like that. If he defeats her, not only he will confirm that project Altair was worth all the money that was put into the research, but also when he takes Mira's Bakugan, it will be one less protector for the Dragonoid. The prince will surely be pleased. "Good news. A new day is dawning for the Vexos and I'm gonna show you why."

"Powering up the battlefield system. Begin the simulation."

He was very pleased to hear the surprised gasps from the Resistance when he introduced Altair. He was very proud of himself. Sure, professor Clay was the one who made it all work, but he designed the Bakugan and came up with its abilities. It was a perfect creation fitting his battle style.

And it lost.

"Oh well, big deal. It's just another broken Bakugan. You got lucky," he smiled. He knew all too well that in science, every failure is still a success. He managed to gather a lot of valuable data to upgrade Altair, and he already got plenty of new ideas for new abilities.

"You don't even care?" Dan gasped.

"Why? Soon, professor Clay will perfect it, so don't sweat it, I'll finish this off the next time we get together!" He retreated into the lab. Clay was already there.

"I've got the data. Once I make the modifications on Altair, it will be the most powerful Bakugan in the universe!"

"You better hurry it up!" Lync shouted, throwing the broken machine at Clay. "I need it to be ready for battle this afternoon!"

"That's impossible!" The mechanics behind Clay protested. "We can fix the old version, but we won't be able to edit any part of his body in time!"

"Do I have to do everything by myself?" Lync sighed, already forming a plan. "Fix him and make him more durable. You can do that much, right?"

"Yes, sir!" They saluted and went off to fulfil their task.

"In the meantime, professor, you will help me create a separate add-on Bakugan that can connect with Altair," he turned to Clay.

"You mean that we will put all the upgrades into a separate body and connect them?" He asked to make sure he understands correctly.

"Exactly. We'll call it, umm, Ventus Wired."

\---

The tournament was once again boring. Spectra was sure that once he collected the best brawlers for the Vexos, the rest was just full of weaklings. He and the Vexos just needed to show themselves to make it look like they are watching, but in reality, they were completely indifferent.

"We've got special superstars in the audience today! Spectra and his mighty Vexos have arrived!"  
The announcer shouted. Then, he continued to introduce them as they took the stage in their usual order. "The merciless Mylene!" She lifted a hand to greet everyone, but her face remained stone cold. "The savage Shadow Prove!" He pulled off a wannabe attractive pose and his fans were going crazy. "The relentless Gus!" As the newest member, Gus always bowed to the audience to express how glad he is to be there. Spectra loved how humble Gus got when in front of his people. Unless he was protecting him, he was always kind and gentle towards the fans and they loved it. "And the supreme Spectra!" He did not need to do anything. He was just standing there and the entire audience was screaming at the top of their lungs. He always felt strong, having the power of the people like this. But did he have their trust? If he turned his back to the royal family, would they follow? No, it was too soon for that. He needed to have some actual achievements aside from being a good brawler.

The only problem Spectra had with stages was that they were too high up. To go back down, they had to use the elevator, which brought several problems: Number one: being so close to Gus in such a tight space was not good for Spectra's health. It would be fine if it was not for problem number two: They were not alone. There were other people in the elevator. And what was even worse, those people were Mylene and Shadow.

"Did you see the fans go crazy when they introduced me?" Shadow laughed.

"Whatever," Mylene said. Even through her icy mask, they all could tell that she was a bit jealous. Her skills did enchant a few fans, but it was nothing compared to the number of people captivated by Shadow's unbound honesty. "We can leave the challengers to Lync and Volt. I'm going back to Beta City," she decided, but it was irrelevant. The challengers in Alpha City were always handled by Lync and Volt, the only exception was when Spectra was interested in someone, which has not happened since Gus in Beta eight years ago.

"Maybe I'll keep you company," Shadow went after. He had no choice anyway. Spectra and Gus stayed behind to check security. The Resistance was nearby Alpha City the last time they saw each other, so they wanted to be careful.

"Do you have anything to report?" Gus asked the guards. They were not allowed to talk to the Vexos directly unless there was an emergency, but since Gus was considered a servant as well, it was fine.

"Nothing unusual. A few of your fans snuck backstage, though," one of the guards answered.

"Really? What fans?" Spectra asked himself. That was very suspicious. The few people who were skilled enough to hack their security system were also smart enough to know that these actions can only end with an arrest and a year in prison.

"Should I check on it?" Gus asked. Spectra thought about it. This was Lync's and Volt's problem to handle. He quickly used his mask to check the security cameras, but he found nothing. Of course. But he did not have time for this.

"Do not bother," he sighed, flicking Helios between his fingers. It was a gesture he did when he was focused on something, and right now, his thoughts were elsewhere. More accurately, at the annoyingly big pile of work that was still waiting for him and Gus when they get home. Hydron was lazy and left everything up to them.

They heard something behind a corner. Gus went to check on it, but he did not find anything. Spectra smirked. These were not ordinary fans. Volt and Lync are going to be in trouble. He left for his ship and, of course, Gus followed him.

After lift-off, he dialled the Alpha Arena office. Volt picked up.

"It appears some mice have snuck into the arena," Spectra said.

"Who cares about mice?" Lync shouted from somewhere Spectra could not see.

"This arena and city are _your_ problem. It is time to clean the house," he warned and ended the call.

\---

Their work was finally finished around eighteen in the evening. Spectra and Gus agreed to eat something, have a shower and go to sleep, but their peaceful time was interrupted by a distress message from Alpha City. 

"What is it?" Spectra asked and looked on his gauntlet. His only reaction was that his expression hardened and he reached for his mask. From that, Gus could not figure out what was going on, but it was probably a bad thing. He checked his gauntlet only to freeze in shock after he read it. The Dimension Controller Alpha has been destroyed. 

"Oh no. When the prince finds out..." Gus whispered a sentence he did not have to finish. When Hydron wakes up in about two hours and finds out about this, he is going to be very angry, wake Spectra up and yell at him for several hours until he starts to feel better. He does this every time there is some trouble. They knew from their previous experiences in this kind of situation that they do not have to bother by trying to get a little sleep right now. This day was going to be a lot longer than they expected.

"Gus, go to sleep. I will handle our enraged little prince," Spectra turned to Gus and wanted to put his mask on, but Gus grabbed his hand to stop him for a while. He was so touched by this gesture of Spectra's. Gus had no idea he was this considerate. He wanted to tell him so many things, but he settled for a few sentences.

"No, Master. We are in this together. I will always be at your side. This was my promise to you and I intend to keep it," he stated with a serious face, but at the end, it turned into a soft smile. Spectra's expression softened as well.

"Thank you, Gus, I am grateful." Gus took the mask and put it gently on Spectra's face. 

"Let us go, then. We have much to do." They did. They had to call Lync and Volt and find out what happened.

Was it their fault? Were they too careless? No.

Even though Spectra was the one who is going to be yelled at, Volt and Lync were responsible. It will be their job to capture the culprits before Hydron wakes up. Which will not be that easy, considering who it most likely was. The base the Resistance worked from was equipped with an anti-tracker that was hindering them from locking onto their gauntlet signals. They were invisible. They had no choice but to wait until they make another move.


	4. Following Orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spectra and Gus go on a romantic vacation. A third wheel tags along.

#### Episode 62 - Surprise Visitor and Episode 63 - Gate Crashers

"I have had enough of this, Spectra! First of all, you still have not delivered the Dragonoid to me," Just as expected. Hydron was angry.

"Sire, there have been difficulties." Spectra bowed suppressing the urge to throw up.

"And now a dimension controller has been destroyed. It's all because of that human Dan and the Resistance." Then, he finally calmed down. "It's so simple. Get rid of the human and the Dragonoid will be mine. Get it done, Spectra."

"Yes, my prince." The call ended. Spectra stood up and reached to grab Gus' hand. "Now that this is done, let us go to sleep at least for a while," he sighed and Gus nodded. Hydron forced them to stay up all night and neither of them was happy about it.

\---

Spectra woke up just as tired as when he went to sleep. It was early afternoon. He got dressed, put his mask on and went on the deck, hoping to relax a little and be able to rest and while longer. But that did not happen. Cards were falling from the sky and that changed his plans. He caught one of them.

"A Gate Card?" He needed to check this out. He went back down and knocked on Gus' door. Gus opened, freshly awake and looking cute, but Spectra had no time to dwell on that.

"Master Spectra?" He was surprised at first, but then he smiled. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Gus. What do you think this is?" He handed him the card.

"It appears to be a Gate Card. But a weird one," Gus inspected it.

"They were falling from the sky just a while ago," Spectra explained.

"The sky? That is very strange. We should probably ask professor Clay about this," Gus proposed. Spectra did not like this solution, but he had to admit he did not have a better one.

"Yes, we should. Change the course to Alpha City," he sighed.

"Master, Hydron ordered that he will be transferred into Gamma City yesterday, remember?" Gus reminded him.

"Oh, right. To Gamma City, then."

"Yes, master Spectra." While Gus left for the bridge, Spectra headed to the hangar. He had an idea as well.

"Helios?" He called into the empty hall. Usually, the Bakugan of the people who stayed on the Vestal Destroyer resided here in the hangar where the smaller ships of the Vexos were stored. Currently, there was only the red and orange one. Spectra's ship was hidden under a layer of dust, showing how often he used it. The Bakugan liked this room because once the ship left the area of effect of the Dimension Controllers, they could be here in their full forms, there was enough space for it.

"What is it, Spectra?" Helios appeared in his ball form. Spectra showed him the Gate Card.

"Do you know what it is?" He asked. Helios bumped into it with his miniature body and the card glowed red.

"It's a Gate Card, but..." He paused to find the correct word to describe the sensation he felt. "...smaller."

"What do you mean?" Spectra frowned behind the mask.

"It's weaker. Normal Gate Card opens a battlefield, but you can fight even outside of the circumscribed space. However, you'd need at least two of these to even open a battlefield, not to mention its size," Helios explained.

"I see. Thank you, that is valuable information," Spectra nodded and left. At least now, he could feel like he has the upper hand on his father. Clay will tell him everything he knows and Spectra will be able to connect it with what he found out from Helios.

\---

"We wish to speak with professor Clay," Gus told the guards in front of the individual laboratory area.

"Professor Clay is working and does not want to be disturbed," one of them answered. Gus shot a worried look at his master. He seemed to be in a bad mood since they woke up and in such cases, it was Gus' job to make sure that no one makes him angry. Because if Spectra is in a bad mood, he can get angry very easily, and when he is angry, he can turn anything within his sight into a lethal weapon that can destroy anyone or anything in his path. In other words, he was very scary.

"Do you think I care?" Spectra said before Gus could even open his mouth to reply. He raised his voice and the murderous glint in his eyes was visible despite the mask. He was not fully angered yet, Gus knew, but he was on the edge. Gus was glad to see that Spectra's threatening question made the guards shut up and let them through.

As they walked through the hallway, Spectra's steps faster and heavier than usual, Gus tried to think of a way to calm his master down before he snaps at someone. However, the door to Clay's new personal lab appeared in front of them too quickly. Spectra opened it without bothering to knock.

"I said I don't want to be-" The professor stopped mid-sentence when he saw Spectra. "What do you want?"

"This," Spectra held the card in front of his face between two fingers, "fell from the sky earlier." He threw the card with full strength as if he wanted to start a battle right between Clay's eyes. He caught it and turned back to his screen, inspecting it closely. Then, he looked something up on his computer.

In the meantime, Gus used all of his courage to place his hand on Spectra's shoulder. When he turned around, Gus gave him a long look, silently asking him to calm down. After a while, Spectra broke the eye contact and his lips formed a small apologetic smile. He mouthed a "Sorry" before turning back to glare at Clay.

There was a tension between the two of them. It seemed as though something happened between them in their past that sparked this mutual hatred. Or was it a rivalry? True, Spectra was an auspicious scientist, but he did not have any achievements of his own, Gus realised. He did research something, but every time he was close to finishing a project, all of the data disappeared from the system. Since Spectra never seemed to be bothered by that, Gus assumed it was on purpose. But now, he could not help but wonder about his work outside of the Vexos and his relationship with professor Clay.

"Interesting. I've never seen this Gate Card before. You say it fell from the sky?" Professor Clay did not appear to be surprised.

"Yes. And there were others," Gus replied in Spectra's stead, afraid that he would come up with some hostile remark.

"Just as I suspected, then," Clay said.

"What is happening?" Gus insisted on getting an answer to his question.

"This card probably came from the human world." This was still not a full answer.

"But why are they here?" Spectra demanded, already calmer than before. Gus was relieved.

"On Earth, energy can transform into Gate Cards. Someone from the human world must be trying to pass through the gate to New Vestroia." Finally a solid answer.

"Then we will welcome them," Spectra decided. Gus was sensing a plan against the human members of the Resistance.

 _"Go, punch it! C'mon, Julie!"_ A voice pierced their ears, but they could not see anyone.

 _"Runo, I don't think this is safe!"_

_"I'll take that risk, now just hit the switch!"_

_"But what if I read the instructions wrong? You could get hurt!"_

_"Stop talking and let's have lift-off, I could've been there already!"_

"What is that voice?" Spectra asked.

"Perhaps it's a residual effect of the weakening dimensional barrier, like the Gate Cards earlier. The wall between Earth and New Vestroia is damaged. We're hearing voices from the human world." Clay explained.

 _"I don't know, maybe we should stop this while we still can, Runo!"_

_"Don't fail on me, Julie, Dan needs my help! Julie!"_

_"But Runo..."_

_"It's now or never! I need to help Dan, please!"_

\---

Two human girls could cause Spectra a lot of trouble, especially if they are Dan's friends.

 _"According to these readings, Runo was transported, but she's trapped between here and New Vestroia. We have to find a way to save her before it's too late. Once the dimensional gateway closes completely, I'm afraid she'll be lost between worlds forever."_ A voice of an old man appeared. Spectra suspected that the girls are now in New Vestroia and the man could be the inventor of their dimension transporter system. Did he just say that a gate to Earth is open somewhere?

That presented a completely new possibility. If he gets to Earth, he will be free to do anything and the Vexos will not interfere. And if he manages to get the Brawlers on his side... He has already thought about this before. If they join him, there will be no Resistance, therefore no destroyed dimension controllers, no lost Bakugan and no trouble. And he will have enough power to defeat Hydron and take over New Vestroia. And then, he will be unstoppable.

 _"Dan, is that you? I'm sending you coordinates. Take Runo there immediately."_ They heard the man say. Spectra decided.

"Gus, prepare your ship for an immediate departure. Destiny awaits."

\---

"Yes, sir." Gus had no idea what is Spectra planning, but as far as he knew his master, he was not planning anything. He carried out Spectra's orders without questions, though.

They left Alpha City and landed near the location of the gate professor Clay gave them. Spectra got off and continued on foot, confused Gus was right behind him.

"Where are we going, master?" He asked, but Spectra answered with putting his index finger on his lips and quiet "ssh". They were hiding behind a big rock and the gate was right in front of them.

"Prince Hydron is afraid of Earth, but I am intrigued. There is no guarantee we will be able to return. You do not have to come with me, you know?" He asked. Gus blushed a little. Master Spectra was worried about him. How cute.

"Oh, I am coming too. Where you go, I go, master Spectra," he nodded with determination. There was no way he could let his master go to a foreign planet all alone. And besides, he would never say no to vacation with just the two of them. They headed to the gate, but someone was standing in their way.

"Lync?"

"Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't recall prince Hydron commanding us to go to the human world, _great_ Spectra," Lync sneered, emphasising the word 'great' sarcastically.

"Which begs the question why are you here," Spectra answered with a question.

"Who knows what trouble you get into if I left the two of you alone," Lync narrowed his eyes. He was not asking for permission, he was just informing them that he is going along.

"Do what you like. We are going through." Spectra pretended not to care, but he did. And Gus did too. They entered the gate with Lync behind them.

\---

"Vexos! Worst boyband ever!" Dan introduced them to his friends. "Get this straight, guys, this is my home turf and you're not welcome!" He shouted.

"Hear that, _mighty_ Spectra?" Lync looked up at Spectra through his lashes. "We're not wanted here on Earth." Spectra was annoyed with the way he was addressing him.

"You got that right!" Baron said. Spectra ignored that child completely and smirked. His intention to get the Brawlers on his side has not changed, but he had to get rid of Lync. Now, he just needed to put on a convincing act and have Gus comply, neither of which was a problem to him.

"Fine then, I will go. But I want... a souvenir!" He grabbed Runo and jumped on the top of the transporter.

"You feathered freak!" She screamed.

"Watch your mouth," he warned her and jumped through a window, safely shattering it to pieces without injuring anyone including himself. Knowing he was fast enough to outrun anyone in that building, he carried the girl through the ambient forest, making sure to leave enough footprints for the Brawlers to find him.

\---

Gus caught on with Spectra's plan surprisingly fast. He needs to get rid of the unwanted supervisor. Therefore, he made everyone chase him through the forest while Gus slows Lync down to allow his master to have a chat with the leaders of the Resistance (for whatever reason).

When everyone except for that ginger girl and the old man ran after Spectra, he made no real effort to keep up. He only made sure that he can follow Lync unnoticed, which was easy, considering how much spying he did for Spectra since he joined the Vexos.

"Great, so now we're stranded on an ice cube planet in some other universe. Of course, it figures that Spectra couldn't transport us to a beach somewhere," Lync complained to himself after he lost Spectra in the forest.

"What is your problem?" Gus jumped down from the trees where he was hiding right in front of Lync. He had to stall for time.

"Well well, Spectra's little pet. Poor Gus, you look lost without your master. Let's see how tough you are..." He laughed. "...when Spectra is not here to back you."

"Spectra may trust you now, but you're still a snake. Why don't you slither back to your hole," Gus answered. He did not mind being insulted, it happened all the time and _'Spectra's pet'_   
was more of a compliment than an insult.

"That's really funny coming from Spectra's lapdog. Did he let you off the leash or did you lose him when he took you out for a walk?" That was not even funny anymore. It was starting to get really boring, in fact. Could he please at least come up with something new?

"That's it." Gus put his gauntlet on. "Your mouth is the only dangerous thing about you."

"There's only one way to find out," Lync laughed while activating his own gauntlet.

"Hold it right there! Where is Spectra? ...Huh? You're brawling? Trouble in paradise?" While Baron was talking, Gus received a message from Spectra.

{Gus, I need to talk to the Brawlers. Lure them to me, especially Mira and Dan, and make sure to leave Lync behind. S}

Gus was happy to find out that he understood Spectra's plan correctly.

"Go ahead, rip on each other, I don't care. Just tell us where Spectra took our friend Runo," Mira asked. Gus received another message.

{Dan is here. Find Mira. S}

"Who knows. Why don't you ask Gus here?" Lync shrugged. Gus turned around and ran, hoping that Mira will follow him.

"Hey, get back here!" She did.

\---

"Dan!" The girl Spectra was carrying (Runo?) was very loud. He has spent like two minutes with her and already wanted to let her go. He sent a message to Gus. He hoped that Lync is lost far enough and will not interfere.

"You better not hurt her Spectra or you're history!" Her shouting lured Dan here. Maybe she is not so useless after all. He quickly updated Gus on his situation.

"No need for theatrics, your friend is safe," he said calmly.

"What do you want?" Why does Dan have to keep shouting all the time? He is standing a few meters from him.

"Come join the Vexos, Dan, it's that simple," he smirked. His gauntlet was showing that Gus is nearby and heading towards him.

"Forget it!" Dan shouted. Spectra heard Mira arrive just above them. "Join you? Have you lost it?" _No, he did not, but he will if Dan keeps being childish._

"We share a goal: To save the Bakugan," he stated. He was saying the truth, he did want to free the Bakugan from the Vexos because in that case, the king would call Hydron off and he would be free to do anything he wants. But he knew that no one will believe him, he waited for Gus to step in.

"Yeah, right." Dan did not believe him and Gus took it as his cue.

"It is true, human. Prince Hydron is your true enemy." He explained as he approached him from behind. Then he jumped over him and landed in front of Spectra.

"Prince Hydron?" Dan was confused. _What? He does not know who Hydron is? Then what was he fighting for the entire time?_

"Vestal prince. He's the one who rules over New Vestroia," Mira explained.

"So what?" _He still did not get it? How can he be their leader when his brain consists of five brain cells and four of them are screaming "Bakugan, brawl!"_?

"If we join forces, we can end Hydron's threat," he added. Mira started walking towards him. _At least she has something in her head._

"Mira, hold it! Don't trust him!" Dan stopped her. This is going to be a long discussion at this rate. "What, first you take Runo and now you wanna team up?"

"Yeah, not cool," the girl in his arms agreed. _Why are they so hung up about this? Do they really believe that he would hurt a little girl? Who do they think he is?_

"Then I will show good faith. The girl is yours." He let her go and she ran to hug her friends. Spectra pulled out one of the cards he was holding to convince them. "You might be interested to know that your former Bakugan now belong to Hydron. They are now giant bronze statues decorating his throneroom. He is quite proud of his collection."

"No way." "Statues?!" The girls gasped.

"Yes. Five of the Six Fighting Bakugan stand as an example for anyone who tries to defy his rule," he continued as if he was telling a horror story.

"Oh no, Gorem!" "That does it. Prince Hydron is toast."

\---

Spectra jumped down from that rock to face the Resistance directly instead of looking at them from above. Gus admired how carefully he picked every word and move to put on a perfectly convincing performance.

 _'Of course,'_ he thought. _'Taking down prince Hydron will be a lot easier with the help of the Bakugan Brawlers Resistance. Then the way will be clear for Spectra to rule New Vestroia. With the power of the Bakugan in our hands, we will become invincible. And once that happens there is nothing these children can do to stop us. Spectra will rule with me at his side.'_ He almost blushed at this mental image. It was everything he ever wanted, and it seemed to get closer with every step they took.

"The only way for you to save your friends is to work with me." Spectra had to spell it out for them, raising his voice slightly. He was pushing them into making a decision.

"Tigrerra..."

"Right, 'cause you're so trustworthy."

"I am telling you the truth." Gus had no idea why is Spectra even talking to those two girls.

"But-" Anyway, they were going for it. Gus started to understand what Spectra was trying to do. Each ally gained will make him stronger. The more members of the Resistance will be on his side, no matter whether the minor or major ones, the more closely the others will listen.

"Don't listen to him!" Drago exclaimed.

"Even if what you say is true we'll never join the Vexos! You're the ones who invaded New Vestroia and captured the Bakugan! First you take their world, then treat them like animals, there's no way we'll work with you! Right, Mira?" Dan agreed and searched support in his co-leader.

"Wha- uh... Um, yeah!" Mira believed Spectra. Gus could not help but wonder why does she trust them so significantly faster than others. She seemed to be thinking about everything carefully.

"Your so-called friend Mira is a vestal too. You can forge an alliance with her and not with me? I gave you your friend back, I am talking, not brawling, what more proof do you need?" Spectra was getting impatient. Not good.

"Free the Bakugan first and then I'll believe!" Dan shouted. _Just how stubborn is he?_

"Not until we bring down Hydron!" Spectra raised his voice as well.

"What's the matter, afraid to give up all your power?" One of the girls asked, even though the answer was obvious. _Of course he did not want to lose his power, he cannot defeat Hydron without it._

"That's why we'll never trust you, Spectra!" Dan was interrupted by a strange gate that opened between them. That ginger human girl appeared out of it. "Alice?" Dan introduced her. "Freaky. How'd you do that?"

"Remember?" She showed a mysterious card. "This is the card Masquerade used to transport himself. I used it to help me find you guys and warp me here." She turned to Spectra and Gus. "Now as for you two, you're taking another trip."

"A trip?"

Gus gasped as he realised what is going on. The next thing he knew that he was standing in front of the dimension transporter and the gate was sucking them both in. He was trying to get away but was too weak.

"Gus!" Spectra shouted after him before surrendering to the gate as well.

\---

After their battle, Lync returned to the laboratory where they landed. He looked in through the window Spectra had broken, only to find out unfortunate news.

"I'm afraid the last warp was too much for the dimension transporter. I'll have to rebuild it from scratch before I can send anyone back again," the old scientist said. _This can't be happening! He is stuck on this foreign planet without a chance of return?_ When he accepted to spy on Spectra for the prince, he did not expect this to happen.

\---

_"So, Lync, tell me. What did you find out about Spectra?" Hydron asked. Lync was kneeling in front of his throne. When he got an order to examine Spectra's background closely, he had no idea how crushing the findings will be._

_"I found out his true identity," he said rather quietly. Hydron was shocked so much he stood up._

_"Really?" Then, he realised his position and sat back down. "Come closer and tell me," he returned to his usual calm voice. Lync walked to his side and leaned closer to whisper into his ear._

_"Spectra is..." The man he was grateful for inviting him into the Vexos was... "Keith Fermin." His arch-rival. The one he was trying to surpass his entire life, and he thought he finally did it when he joined the Vexos. The Mr Perfect whose scientific work was full of breakthrough discoveries, even though he was still an apprentice, while Lync never got any credit for anything he did. He was more of an idea man, he specialised in design and exterior appearance. The problem was that whoever made his ideas work, whoever filled the shell he created, got all the glory. No one knew how many buildings he designed, including the cities Alpha, Beta and Gamma and the Vestroia Palace._

_He needed to prove that he can become an amazing scientist, for his mother's sake. But when compared to the elder son of the Fermin family, he did not stand a chance._

\---

Lync jumped from tree to tree, following the humans to their primitive aircraft. However, when they were saying goodbyes to each other, his rubber boot slipped on the layer of ice covering the branch he was sitting on and he fell. His head dove into the snow and another pile covered the rest of his body. He immediately turned around and stuck his head out on top, inhaling deeply to calm down his shocked racing heart.

"Hey, it looks like you're stuck here with the rest of us for a while," Dan told him. Lync was trying his best not to look embarrassed.

"Yeah, a lil' birdie told me," he looked away from them.

"What're you going to do?" Mira asked. Lync slowly began to realise how hopeless his situation was.

"Wanna come with us?" Dan proposed. No way. He would never sink that low. He has his pride. He can take care of himself just fine.

"Like I need _you_ ," he laughed. "I can find my own way back without you amateurs."

"Whatever, suit yourself, then. We're outta here."

That was a big lie, both to the Brawlers and himself. He did not know what to do. This time, even he was out of ideas.

The ginger girl was leaving with her grandfather. She turned around to face Lync. He thought that she would try to convince him to go with her. She seemed to be this kind and caring type of girl. But instead, she was staring him down with her lips pressed tight together. There was something in her eyes that made her look very intimidating. Avoiding eye contact, he still recited his prepared answer.

"Forget it. There's nothing that could make me want anything to do with you." His false bravado was interrupted by a loud rumbling of his stomach. He realised that the two tomatoes he had for breakfast were his only food that day, and that was hours ago.

No, he cannot just accept the help of a human. What would everyone say if they found out?

But he was starving.

What if no one finds out? If it stays here in the middle of nowhere between the three of them, neither his family nor the Vexos should find out, right?

"Come on, we won't wait forever," she dictated and turned around, marching fast to catch up with her grandfather. Normally, his response would be something along the lines of 'No one tells _me_ what to do!', but he knew that right now it would only make his situation worse. The girl had a powerful presence and he felt like he should not talk back to her. He just followed the two humans, with his shoulders slumped and head bowed. It was humiliating. He was abandoned in a foreign world, his Bakugan was broken, his gauntlet offline and he had to rely on the help of humans so that he does not starve or freeze to death.

The house was tiny, even Lync's apartment in Alpha City was bigger. The floor and the walls were wooden. Wood was a rare resource on Vestal due to limited space, they only had trees that bore fruits (and even that was not seen often), but that was not the case on Earth, Lync concluded from the amount of forested area he saw outside. The first room was a kitchen with a dining table, a primitive computer on a small worktable in one corner and a green sofa with another small table in the other. The entire house was heated with open fire near the table. The fireplace was framed with white polished stone with a disorderly black pattern. On the left, he could see two open doors into bedrooms and a bathroom between them.

Lync would surely examine this peculiar architecture and designs more closely, but he was not on holiday. He was in prison.

"Sit," she pointed at the floor next to the table. He obeyed, not lifting his head. He continued to look at his crossed legs while listening to the sounds from the kitchen.

He clenched his fists, grabbing the fabric of his loose black-and-white pants. A few droplets of water that were squeezed out of the fabric slid down his forearms and dripped from his elbows onto the floor. The room may have been warm, but his clothes were soaked and he was trembling with cold. Or anger, he was not sure. He did not know who he was angry at, either.

He was angry at Keith because he was here only because of him. He was angry at Hydron because he ordered him to spy on Spectra. He was angry at his family because they created circumstances that forced him to enter the Vexos in the first place. But most of all, he was angry at himself, because he was weak. He had to rely on humans. He was defeated by some snow. He got beaten by Baron, for heaven's sake! Why was he so pathetic?

His entire body was trembling with this anger. Or was it out of fear?

He was afraid of what is going to happen. Does he have to endure this humiliation until the Transporter is fixed? How long will it take? Will he be able to get back home? And even if he does, what will he find there? What is going on while he is gone? Will anyone miss him? He had plenty of younger siblings, if one son disappears, another one will replace him. There are many capable Ventus brawlers who can take his spot in the Vexos. And it is not like he was the only skilled designer the vestal race had to offer, either.

Alice placed a plate, a piece of bread and a spoon on the table in front of him.

"As soon as the Transporter is repaired, you are so gone," she said her final statement and left him in the room by himself.

He felt the emotions he was bottled up inside of him threaten to get out. His bottom lip was quivering. And finally, the tears spilt over.

He was completely extendable. No one needs him. No one wants him to be around. He is all alone.

After a few minutes, he began to calm down. He did not know if he was feeling better or worse, but he felt different than before at least. Everything did not seem to be so hopeless. He may be all alone, but that is fine. It was like that his entire life. He does not need anyone. He will stand up and fight. But first, he has to eat something.

He reached for the plate and spoon and placed it on his lap. It was filled with some yellowish oily liquid with some small green leaves, yellow cubes and light brown spheres. Compared to how bad it looked, the smell was delightful. And Lync was so hungry that none of this mattered to him anyway. He sipped a spoonful of the liquid and it filled his stomach with warmth. It was delicious. He could not stop a small satisfied smile creep onto his face as he emptied the plate in seconds. He stood and placed it into the sink.

Now, he just has to dry his clothes somehow. He undid his cape and jacket and put it on the floor near the fireplace. He hesitated at first, but then he took off his boots and finally even his shirt. He laid himself near the fireplace as well and enjoyed the heat it radiated.

\---

Alice left Lync alone only to see how he reacts and whether he tries to do something suspicious. She watched his bare chest rise and fall with his even breaths as he relaxed at the fireplace. His satisfied smile and closed eyes made him look almost innocent. But the clearly defined muscles on his shoulders, arms and abdomen showed that he was no ordinary boy.

He was a Vexos. He was arrogant, selfish, mean and cruel. He helped to enslave all Bakugan on New Vestroia and turn Hydranoid and the others into statues. There was no way she could forgive him.

But just a few minutes ago, it was completely different. She saw him break down in tears. At that moment, he did not look like a monster, but like a lonely lost child.

Perhaps she misjudged him. She had no idea why was he doing what he did. She caused her friends a lot of trouble too, and she did not mean it. Maybe he was not a bad person. He was so young, he could not be older than fourteen. Could he have a difficult family situation? Maybe he is an orphan. Or maybe that Vestal prince is forcing him into this. For all she knows, he may just be a good person with bad circumstances. Like she used to be.

She decided to be nice to him after all. Maybe that is all he needs to realise that when you use a sword, you cannot save anyone. You can only hurt people with it.

Still, she will keep her guard up, just in case.


	5. Facing a Rival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gus has a love rival. And he is so not going to share.

#### Episode 64 - Unmasked

They landed in a very small room that only had two seats inside. Gus hit the back of his head against the wall behind him and even his hair could not cushion the impact.

"Where are we?" He whined.

"On Earth," Spectra answered, "I took precautions. We still have unfinished business with Dan Kuso." Gus looked at his gauntlet and understood what happened. It was brilliant to come up with this idea despite the situation.

"So? What are you going to do?" He asked.

"We need to get out of this place. There are too many humans here." Spectra said looking out of the window.

"What a shame. I thought this will be a nice vacation with just the two of us," Gus mentioned, looking outside as well.

"I wish. It seems like this is going to turn out to be bothersome," Spectra sighed.

"Maybe next time, then?" Gus asked curiously, just to find out whether Spectra is on the same page.

"Next time for sure," Spectra smiled and   
leaned to Gus to place a quick kiss on his forehead before the ride stopped.

They stood up and opened the door. People were scared of them. They could sense that Spectra and Gus were superior to them in every way and opened them a way through the crowd. Gus activated a scanner on his gauntlet.

"This way, master. There is a place without people," he pointed and they headed in that direction. They noticed soon that they are being followed. Mira and another grey-haired human girl from the Brawlers were running after them. They pretended not to see until they came to a place without people. They turned around to face the two girls.

"Spectra," Mira called out, allowing the other girl to realise who are they dealing with.

"Oh boy," she gasped but recovered quickly. "Aren't you guys hot in those coats?" A confident smirk made its way on Gus' face. He was sure that master Spectra would be even hotter if he took the coat off.

"We meet again," Spectra smiled, ignoring her question.

"But how? We transported both of you back to New Vestroia," Mira wondered. Gus could not help but be proud of his master and the way he redirected the transporter in the last second.

"Want to know how? We were able to triangulate on Dan Kuso's gauntlet and redirect our transporter gate to his location. And presto, here we are."

"So what do you want this time?" She demanded. _Why is she even asking? They were very clear about their objective earlier._

"As I said, I want you all to join me," Spectra repeated.

"You know my answer," she frowned stubbornly. This reaction surprised Gus a bit. Earlier, she seemed to be interested in their offer. He wondered if she actually changed her mind or whether it was just acting to convince herself.

"Do not be foolish, we both want to destroy the man who is holding the Bakugan. Prince Hydron is the true villain here," Spectra tried to convince her.

"How do we know that you're telling us the truth? Everyone knows that you're prince Hydron's stooge," she said and Gus rolled his eyes. This was a common misconception, but the reality was different. If something, Spectra was very close to king Zenoheld, but he could not care less about Hydron.

"I only infiltrated prince Hydron's inner circle to find the truth." Gus tilted his head to the right and turned his gaze towards Spectra. _'The truth'? What truth? He never told him anything about that. And now he tells her without hesitation?_ The only thing Gus knew was from when he once asked his master to explain why is he so close to the king, even though he is planning to overthrow him. His answer was simple: "Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer." Gus remembered that sentence very well. What confused him, though, was the fact that Mira seemed to recognise it as well.

"Keith?" She gasped.

"Who's Keith?" Julie vocalised Gus' thoughts.

"It's you, isn't it? You've got to tell me!" She insisted. Gus stepped back, eyes wide as he realised: She knew something about Spectra he did not. He could feel a bond between the two of them. Sure, she was leading the Resistance even before Gus joined the Vexos and she faced Spectra in numerous battles (and never won) but that was not it. "Tell me or I'll wipe that smile off your face! Why won't you answer?" It sure did sound like they were very close. When Spectra usually spoke to people, he looked down on them and showed clearly that he is the one in charge, that he is superior. He did this to Gus for many years when they worked together and only stopped about a year ago. But he did not do that to Mira now when there was barely any audience. Gus would like to ask him about it, but he did not want to push him into anything. "You want to keep playing your little games? Okay then. I challenge you to a brawl! And if I win you have to take off that mask!" Gus may not know what kind of relationship do these two have, but he knew one thing: No one except for him has the right to see his master without the mask. NO ONE.

"No way!" He retorted immediately, but to his surprise, Spectra stopped him.

"Very well, I accept your challenge. However, if I win, you will join me and the Vexos against prince Hydron," he smirked. Gus was glad, too. No one would be stupid enough to accept conditions like that. She could lose everything she worked for while Spectra will only show her his face she might not even recognise.

"Okay, you've got a deal." _What? Does she want to unmask him so badly she would accept these conditions? Why?_ Gus decided to take things into his own hands. He stepped in front of Spectra.

"One other condition. You will battle me." He drew his gauntlet.

"But that's not what I agreed to!"

"Cheater!"

"Too bad. Master Spectra does not waste his skills on a lightweight like you. Do you want to battle him? You have to get through me. You should thank me. There is no way you would even come close to beating New Vestroia's number one brawler. At least this way you have a chance, right?" Gus did not think that she could come close to beating New Vestroia's number two either, but why is she trying to get master Spectra's attention all the time? He will look at him, not at her.

"So it is settled, then. You will battle Gus in my stead." Gus was happy to receive his master's support.

_'My master. My boyfriend. Hands off.'_

"Okay then, but stick around. As soon as I win, I'm taking that mask off," she agreed reluctantly, taking her gauntlet.

\---

The battle was very stressful. The pressure on Gus was crushing. He had to defend his master's name, honour and reputation and make sure she does not see him without the mask.

"Show them your power, Gus."

But what if he wins and she joins the Vexos? That would be a catastrophe!

"An impressive opening, Gus."

She would follow master Spectra the same way he does, and since she appears to be closer to him than Gus could ever hope to, he will no longer be needed.

"One trick is not enough to win a battle. Or is it, Gus?"

Is that her goal? Does she want to replace Gus in Spectra's heart? Yes, that must be it. She likes him and wants to be with him. But that will not happen. Gus will not let that happen.

"Time to sink or swim, Gus."

Besides, master Spectra loves him, right? He would not abandon him just because of... a girl. Oh, right. She is a girl. Gus is not.

"Careful, Gus, she is not giving up."

He will not give up either. He will fight. He will make master Spectra look only at him.

Gus lost on purpose. Master Spectra showing his face to these two girls is still better than she joining them and the two of them being separated. Yes, Gus was being a little selfish, but whatever. He is the one and only for master Spectra.

"I am sorry, master Spectra," Gus lied and hated himself for it. Spectra appeared to be surprised, but not disappointed.

"Not so fast! You're not backing down on the deal you made with Mira!" Mira was walking towards them. Gus wanted to believe in master Spectra and the fact that they will just retreat, never see the Brawlers again and live happily together forever. He was convincing himself that master Spectra loves him, not Mira, and he is not going to betray him. "Mira won fair and square, thanks to crybaby here." That is not true. He is better for master Spectra than her.

"No, master! The loss is mine, not yours! Do not let her unmask you!" Gus was beginning to regret his decision. _She cannot see master Spectra's face! She is unworthy of his beauty, and if she sees those wonderful eyes of his, she will irreversibly fall for him, just like Gus did._

"So, what do you say? Are you a man of your word?" Mira was now standing right in front of him.

"Do not do it! Let us just leave here and go back to New Vestroia!" Gus regretted this sentence immediately after it left his lips. He sounded like a very dumb and childish jealous girlfriend.

"You sure are a sore loser, I guess you Vexos really aren't trustworthy. Dan was right about you guys."

"Master, no!"

"Come on, show me your face!"

"A promise is a promise." Spectra reached for his mask. "Maybe this will prove that I am a friend of the Bakugan and something more to you." He took it off. Gus clenched his jaw. There was no way he will let her win. But for now, he had to bear with it. He believed in his master. He will get an explanation someday.

"It is you... Keith... but why?" She gasped, but Spectra only turned around and left. Gus followed him along with so many questions he wanted to ask but stayed quiet for now.

\---

Gus did not say a word ever since the battle. He seemed to be thinking about something.

"Look, Gus, we can stay in this abandoned storage house."

"Hm." They entered and when the door closed and Spectra was sure that no one is listening to them, he put his mask and coat on one of the boxes inside and spoke:

"Gus, I know you want to ask me something." He was worried. Gus usually talked a lot and this silence was awful. Gus looked into his eyes. 

"I do not understand this, master Spectra. Please explain it to me. She is our enemy, yet you let your guard down in front of her so easily. You talk to her as if she was your equal automatically," he said, his voice shaking slightly. His eyes were wide open and filled with so many emotions that Spectra was unable to name any of them.

"So this is what you have been thinking about the whole battle? No wonder you lost." Spectra meant for his tone to be playful, but could not bring himself to. As his boyfriend, he was supposed to make him happy, but he did the complete opposite. His guts twisted from the amount of guilt he felt as Gus continued to accuse him.

"I have worked hard and for a long time to earn your trust. It took years for you to allow me to see you like this, yet in front of her, you did not hesitate even for a second! I do not know what does she have and I do not, but I guess since she is at least female, she is better for you." Gus crossed his arms and sat down on one of the boxes around them grumpily. That last sentence caught Spectra's attention. Now he finally understood what was going on. And when he looked at Gus, stubbornly glaring at a wall in front of him, everything clicked together. 

"Are you jealous?" He asked with narrowed eyes and a smirk after he leaned on a box behind Gus and brought their faces closer.

"No," Gus said, avoiding eye contact. It was obvious that this was not the case. Spectra pulled back a little.

"Gus, I think you are lying to me right now. Answer my question honestly," he said, mock-offended.

"Maybe a little." Gus' cheeks were burning red. Spectra could not help but blush as well. He has never seen Gus act this way, but it was adorable. He leaned over and kissed him. His lips slowly touched Gus' and he made sure to put all of his feelings into it. He could almost hear Gus' heart racing, but he was still too stubborn to kiss back. Spectra stopped, but their faces were still centimetres away from each other. 

"Gus, you are my one and only. I love you the most and I will never let you get away from me. There is no one closer to me than you. Do not forget that," he promised, completely serious.

"But she-" Gus started and Spectra felt that guilt again, but he was not sure if he is ready to tell Gus his story just yet.

"Forget about her, please. Just believe me if I say that you are the one I love and that will never change," he pleaded and Gus' expression finally softened.

"I believe you, master," he finally gave in. Spectra tried to kiss him again, but his effort was in vain. The good old Gus was back and there was no way he would allow himself to be kissed. Instead, he placed his hands around Spectra's waist and made him lay down on the boxes. He leaned over Spectra and kissed him. A smirk crawled onto Spectra's face. He knew Gus will not be able to resist him for long.

He also knew that he will have to tell Gus about Mira and his family one day, but he was not ready yet to do so. He was afraid. But why? Gus was right. He lowered his guard in front of his sister immediately, his mask did not help him. It felt like she already knew, but how could she find out? Is he still the same as before? No, he has changed. He is now Spectra Phantom, the mighty leader of the Vexos. Yet right now, he did not feel mighty or powerful at all. He was lost in a foreign world, and he had nothing. He had Gus, yet someone was missing. He felt alone. There was a space in his heart even Gus could not fill. He did not like to admit it, but he missed his sister. His mother as well.

This realisation made him subconsciously break the kiss. Gus pulled away with surprise in his green eyes, but when he saw Spectra's expression, surprise turned into concern.

"Master Spectra?" Spectra turned his face away. Gus moved back to free him immediately, afraid to have made a mistake. Spectra did not like making him worried and pushing him away like this, but it was for the best. If he told him what his true intentions behind becoming the king of Vestal were, he would probably hate him for using him for his selfish goal.

"It is nothing. Goodnight."

He felt Gus carefully covering him with his jacket and went to sleep. His last thought before falling asleep was that he does not deserve to have someone like Gus.

\---

_Gus and Spectra are in the same room. It is white, empty and quiet, except for one thing. There is a wall between them and they are kissing through a hole in that wall. And even though this hole is big enough for Gus to see Spectra's face, it is still a cold stone wall, five meters high and a meter thick. They managed to put one stone away to see each other, but what about the others? Gus felt that if Spectra held his hand, he would be able to turn all the stones into sand with the other. He reaches for Spectra's hand trough the hole and his warm fingers slip between Gus'. And then he realises that they are not alone. That girl from yesterday, Mira, is standing at Spectra's side, placing new stones to replace those Gus had broken. He wants her to leave, but she is hiding behind master Spectra, wrapping her arms around Spectra's waist. Gus squeezes Spectra's hand, but he cannot feel it. It is not there anymore. Now, his hands are holding hers. And they stand up and walk away. Gus collapses on the ground._

When Gus woke up, it was freezing cold. He looked outside and he saw the sun lazily climb above the horizon. It made the ocean look like a pool of liquid fire. All the shades of red and orange... Their colours, Gus realised. He wished he could show this to master Spectra as well, but he did not want to wake him up because of something stupid like this.

He looked upset yesterday. Was it something he said? No, master Spectra would have told him. Gus knew that they were not telling each other everything, that there were still some secrets between them, and he regretted that fact. He wanted to know what made master Spectra so sad. He did not want to see him sad. He wanted to see him smile. That was all he ever wanted. Not only because his smile was beautiful, but also because he wanted him to be happy. He did not know what happened to Spectra in his past, but he supposed that it was nothing pleasant. And he wanted to know. He wanted Spectra to tell him.

His stomach growled and he realised that they have not eaten for quite a while. Did they eat something yesterday? No, they forgot. Not good. Gus has to find some food. But where? He closed the door and left.

Earth in the early morning was much more beautiful than in the afternoon. Everyone was sleeping, the streets were empty and quiet. And there was so much free space. Earth was not as overpopulated as Vestal. On the other hand, their architecture looked horrible. The houses were just grey boxes of concrete and glass. And the worst thing: They all looked the same.

_Just what is this cursed place?!_   
Gus has been trying to find a shop for hours and there are only apartment buildings here. Every single street looked the same! Well, it is the same on Vestal, but he was at least able to read the signs there. Earth used some weird script Gus was not able to decipher no matter how hard he tried. People started to get out of their houses and go to work, supposedly. Gus found out after a while that they are walking more or less in the same direction. Then, Gus saw an old fat woman with short thin grey hair wearing a horrible something vaguely resembling a dress carrying an empty bag. She must be going shopping. Gus followed her.

Thank the Ancients, she was going shopping. The shop was a very big building. Like very, very big. There were plastic baskets behind the door. Everyone was taking one, so Gus did as well. He walked through the aisles, trying to look for some food.

Walking around the shop was one big lesson of Earth culture for Gus. There were so many things. Most of them did not even seem to be useful for something. When he found food, there was no big difference. Why do humans need such a variety of food?

Due to the limited space, vestals mostly plant food at home, but there are also plantages on the roofs, indoors and in parks. They mostly plant vegetables and grain. The variety of kinds is also small: salad, tomatoes, capsicums, sunflowers, different types of green leaves and beans. They make bread as well, so sandwiches and salads are the most typical meals.

Another weird thing was something Gus stumbled upon in the freezers. Aside from being weird, it was horrifying. Body parts wrapped in plastic foil, still with traces of blood on them. _Was that meat? Do humans eat each other or what?_ Gus decided to just leave, frightened and disgusted.

Luckily, Gus managed to find something resembling sandwiches in the end, except for the fact that the bread was white. _How can bread be white?_ Gus just picked something that looked edible. There was a cup with a picture of corn, so he took it. He also added to his basket some brown round fist-sized thingy that vaguely resembled bread (and it had normal brown colour). Then, he saw small colourful boxes with pictures of fruits and a small plastic tube glued to the side. He took it into his hand and shook it a little. He heard a liquid inside. Could it be... juice? Fruit on Vestal was too rare to drink them, so fruit juice was something for the royal family only. And here, any commoner can buy it? Amazing! He put two boxes in his basket, one orange juice, one apple juice.

He walked into a place where people were paying and leaving. They put the things from their baskets onto the table in front of a man sitting behind an ancient-looking computer. He scanned the goods and they put it into a brown bag. Then, the man told them a number, they paid and left. Simple enough.

Except Gus did not have any money. He gripped the handle of his basket. He put so much effort into this, there is no way he is backing out now. He needed a plan. Or not? Master Spectra never needed a plan for everything to turn out in his favour.

He stepped between the people only to be immediately pushed back.

"Hey, get in line, miss," a voice warned him. Gus looked up. It was a man about 145 years old and about a head taller than he was. But the way he got addressed surprised him. Maybe the word _'miss'_ has a different meaning on Earth. Or the man was just confused with his hairstyle. Gus had heard from his parents many times that he should just cut it. He did not have time to think about it, because the man was still frowning at him from above. He decided to avoid unnecessary conversation and leave the man with his misunderstanding.

"I'm sorry, sir, my mistake," he smiled apologetically and stepped back behind the man.

After a while, it was his turn to pay, and he still had no idea what to do.

"Good morning, sweetie," the cashier purred. Gus was officially Disgusted™. The man was not only like ten years younger than Gus, but he was also fat, really ugly and he had some metal thing on his teeth, gross. Gus ignored the fact that he was just called a woman again because a little plan was forming in his head. He just has to be a convincing actor. Or, more accurately, a convincing actress.

"Good morning," he answered with a sweet smile, putting everything on the table. The cashier scanned it.

"It's ten dollars. Hey, how about a date with me?" He asked with a grin. Gus ignored that question and focused on his performance. He put his hand into his pocket, then made a surprised look and patted his pants from the outside.

"Oh no, I forgot my purse," he sighed, slumping his shoulders and grabbing the brown bag as if he wanted to go put the wares back into the shelves. "If my head wasn't attached to my body, I'd forget it on my bedside table, I swear. Now I gotta go all the way home and then back here. And dad's gonna be so mad when I come home empty-handed," he muttered for himself but loud enough for everyone around to hear as he dragged his feet back into the shop. Luckily, the cashier took pity on him.

"Don't worry about it, babe, I'll pay it for you. You can just give it back to me the next time you come here, 'kay?" He winked. Gus turned around, giving him a completely honest, grateful smile.

"Thanks, that helps me a lot! See you!" He waved at him and left as quickly as he could, not even bothering to listen to his response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments!


	6. Behind the Gate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back on New Vestroia, Mylene takes over as the leader of the Vexos. Her results are better than Spectra's, so why not make sure he doesn't return?

#### Episode 65 - Voices in the Night, Episode 66 - Duel in the Dunes and Episode 67 - Last One Standing

"What? Spectra's gone?"

"That is exactly what I just said, Mylene. Gather what is left of the Vexos on Vestal Destroyer. I have a mission for you," the prince stated. Mylene saw an opportunity.

"My prince, if I may ask, why are you telling this to _me_?" She asked with a hint of hope.

"Why bother asking when you know the answer? You know who I can always count on to lead the Vexos when Spectra is not around," he said and ended the call. That patronising attitude annoyed her, but he just confirmed her assumption.

Shadow, who was sitting next to her in the ship, threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

"Congrats, team leader!" He laughed and stuck his tongue out. She pushed him away.

"Don't touch me."

"Awww, c'mon, I know you're happy," he cooed.

"Just be quiet and think about how you lost the battle," she retorted and wished it would shut him up, but the effect was the exact opposite.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault, 'kay? If that lazy professor finally gave me a proper mechanical Bakugan, not this Sylvee trash, I would've won!" He shouted, shoving his fist with the Bakugan sphere into his pocket angrily. "It's not my fault that..."

Mylene decided to ignore his constant rambling and focus on the task at hand. For sure, the prince will want her to capture the Resistance members who were left behind here. She only has herself, Shadow and Volt. That is not much to work with. But she has to figure it out. This is her chance to prove that she is better than Spectra. There is a reason she was the first member of the Vexos.

\---

_Mylene was fresh fifty-six when the entire thing happened. On that day, she and a few other maids were ordered to clean up in the throne room after the king finishes a meeting with the Vexos, his advisors and helpers in governing the planet. However, they came too early and as they waited behind the door, she overheard some of their conversation:_

_"Along with the invasion of New Vestroia, I decided to disband the Vexos," the king stated. He ignored the horrified gasps of his listeners and continued: "You are not needed anymore. I can rule by myself just fine. However, I will form new Vexos out of the best Bakugan brawlers to assist Hydron on New Vestroia."_

_"But sire-" one member tried to oppose, but the king cut him off._

_"No buts! See, this is why I am sending you away! You keep getting in my way, yet you don't care about the people at all! You only want to keep your nice warm places here in the Palace, but that is over. You are all fired! That is all, now get out of my sight."_

_They heard steps and the sound of the door opening and closing as the former Vexos left the room. They slipped in through the door for servants with their cleaning equipment quietly, so that they do not disturb the king, who was sitting on the throne, from his thoughts._

_"It's gigantic!" One of her coworkers gasped._

_"How are we going to clean this in twenty minutes?" Another one pointed at the meeting table covered with leftover food from the feast._

_"This is impossible!" The third one whispered, in tears._

_"Stop whining, you fools!" Mylene hissed, slightly raising her voice. She was not their superior or anything, she was the youngest servant in the Palace aside from Shadow, but she seemed to be the only one with something in her head._

_That was obviously because she had high education, which was completely unusual. Servants were all low ed people. But she grew up in the Palace and was a maid ever since she could remember because her mother worked here as well and after she disappeared, she was left here. She had to earn for her living during the time she was going to school, and she had no reason to change jobs after she graduated. There was something she wanted to find out here._

_She looked at the name tags of the maids and assigned them tasks: "Naxi, collect the trash and take it out. Thayse, clean the floor and Balra, wipe away the dust, I'll take care of the rest." They looked at each other, not sure whether to follow the orders of a child or not. Then, they nodded and grabbed the tools they needed to clean what Mylene told them. She herself did the easiest tasks, like ordering the chairs and stuff._

_She had no idea that this entire time, the king was watching her. They managed to clean everything in time, even though she did not do anything except for bossing the others around. When they were leaving, the king addressed her._

_"Hey, you, bluenette. Can you brawl?" He asked and she nodded. She did. Well, she tried it a few times before, and she liked to think of herself as naturally talented. She was strong, a good strategist, could keep her cool and give orders._

_He saw those traits and skills of hers in the following battle. She lost but did surprisingly well. She was silent the entire time, calculating every move._

_"What is your name, girl?" He asked after the battle. She was tired to death and her legs were barely able to stand, but she refused to quit. She stood proudly and looked into the king's eyes when she said:_

_"Mylene Farrow." He placed his hand on her shoulder._

_"Welcome to the Vexos, Mylene."_

_She was surprised but did not let it show._

\---

And now, her duty was to change diapers of that spoiled brat.

"Mylene, are you there?" His voice echoed through the main hall of the Vestal Destroyer. She bowed her head.

"Of course."

"What's left of the Bakugan Brawlers Resistance is headed your way. You know what must be done, so do it."

"Yes, sire."

"I won't have you make the same mistake as last time. Do not let them anywhere near Beta City," he ordered.

"I understand, your highness," she bowed again. He sent them live footage of the Resistance's trailer he managed to get who-knows-where.

"I'm tired of this game!" Shadow's metal boot hit against the wall with an unpleasant sound. "Just let _me_ handle the Resistance!" Just as always, he had too much energy. If only he used it for brawling and not for fooling around.

"Get over yourself, you're far too reckless," she rejected his stupid idea immediately. "We have to plan carefully." Shadow stopped jumping and looked at her with his head tilted to the side, his expression suddenly heartbroken.

"You don't think I could take those noobs?" He asked, devastated.

"I'm saying," she sighed because she did not want to hurt him, "we must leave nothing to chance. The odds will be better if we can confuse them first. If we separate them and take them down one by one, they won't be able to use teamwork," she introduced her plan.

"Good idea." Volt, who was just watching the show unfold in front of him until now, finally contributed something. "That's how they turned the tables on Lync and me in the tournament last time." 

Volt was right, her plan was perfect. Which is precisely why Shadow hated it.

"Get off it! Who died and made _Mylene_ leader of the Vexos?" She knew he said that only because he was bitter that the plan is boring, but it still hurt a little.

"Be quiet and do as you're told, _Shadow Prove_!" She snapped at him, emphasising his name to remind him who got him into the Vexos in the first place.

\---

_She was kneeling in front of the throne in her brand new uniform. The armour made her feel safe and stronger than ever._

_"Do you have anyone in mind who would be suitable to join your team?" The king asked, sensing her incoming question._

_"Yes, your highness. You see, I am not the only child who grew up in this palace. There is a boy, he is the last living member of the Prove family," she started hesitantly. She knew all too well that he was not suited to be in the government._

_"The previous royal family? Yes, I am aware that someone like that lives here," the king nodded and beckoned her to continue._

_"We call him Shadow because he follows me everywhere. He is very attached to me and I'm not sure what would he do if I left him behind," she explained without a trace of emotion in her voice, like always._

_"I entrusted this to you. If you think he should join, he will," the king approved of her idea. He pushed a few buttons on his throne and activated the communication system. "Send me Shadow Prove."_

_"Thank you, your majesty," she bowed her head._

_"Is he a good brawler?" The king asked._

_"Not as good as me, but I will train him," she promised._

_"Very well."_

_"Your highness, Shadow Prove is here," a guard announced. The king wanted to answer, but she interrupted him._

_"Sir, I should warn you. He is a bit... eccentric." He nodded to show he heard her._

_"Let him in."_

_"You called me, oh powerful majesty?" He said and followed it with his typical laugh, his tongue touching his chin. "Oh, hey Mylene." He moved to her side, standing in front of the king with hands in pockets._

_"From today onwards, you are a member of the Vexos. You will follow Mylene's orders. Understood?"_

_"Yeah!" He placed his arm around her shoulders. "Seems you're stuck with me again, Mylene."_

_"Get off me!" She tried to shove him away, but not even her armour could stop Shadow._

_"Too bad. I'm a Vexos too, now, you can't get rid of me that easily," he laughed and attempted to lick her ear, but she placed her hand on his forehead and pushed him back. She was starting to regret the decision to take him here._

_"I see you get along," the king smirked. "What is your education?"_

_"Both high, sir," Mylene replied immediately._

_"Excellent. I want you to memorise the Servant Codex by tomorrow."_

_"Yes, your majesty," They said in unison._

\---

"I've got a special part for you," she told Shadow and he started whining like a child, which she ignored.

"Look, Mylene, the trailer is stopping!" Volt noticed.

"How perfect. Now the plan begins. We have to hurry. The members left are Ace, Shun and Marucho. We will use the voices of Dan and Mira to lure them into those transport gates professor Clay is currently experimenting with. Shadow, you'll use the voice changer here on the bridge and act as the two. When they are separated, we will each take down one. Volt, prepare the voice changer to transform the frequency of Shadow's voice accordingly. Spectra should have some recordings of those two in the database, so use that to make it sound as convincing as possible," she explained and gave them orders.

"What's the password?" Volt asked.

"Password? That Spectra," She fumed. There should be no password, this ship belongs to all the Vexos. She dialled a familiar person.

"Mylene?"

"Professor Clay, how are the gates?"

"Ready. Did you call just for that? I sent you the locations and destinations of the gates already," he said, annoyed as always. 

"Spectra locked Vestal Destroyer's database," she looked away from the screen. It was so humiliating.

"Let me see," he turned to the screen behind him and did something, "I will unlock it remotely." Suddenly, he stopped and slammed the keys with his fist. "What a joke," he said to himself and turned around. Before that, Mylene saw a glimpse of his screen. There was something written on it. It looked like 'Good job, daddy!', but she was not sure and did not care, so she forgot about it. "It's unlocked." With these words, he ended the call.

Volt started poking the keyboard with a miserable expression. Mylene heard him whisper something along the lines of "I wish Lync was here to do this!", but then he announced: "Voice changer ready."

"Okay, begin broadcast. Shadow, do your thing," she commanded.

"Yeah, yeah," Shadow sighed and went to the microphone, putting a pair of earphones on. "So, I'm supposed to go like:" he pressed the Dan button, "Marucho, help me!" He faked a pained voice. "Marucho! Shun! Shun, Marucho, I can't hold on!" Then, he switched to Mira. "Help me Ace, please!" He mimicked her half-bossy tone and went back to Dan: "Have you forgotten my voice already? Get moving and help me! Dude, you really are slow, aren't you? I'm stuck between dimensions! I tried to get back to New Vestroia but I'm stuck in the dimensional gate!" Mylene had no idea what was he talking about, but it seemed to work. They got audio footage from the trailer, Shadow was listening to it and responded. "Yeah, Shun, don't you care what happens to me? I thought you were my friend! That's it, keep going Marucho. What're you waiting for, Christmas?" He had no idea what it means, but it was something Dan said at one point. Then, he imitated Mira pleading "Hurry up, Ace, don't you care? Keep going Ace, I can't hold on! You've got to hurry! Help me Ace! I need you!" He turned it off and laughed. "This is way too hilarious!"

"Good, then keep it up," she praised him. Ace and Marucho were headed one for each gate. Shun seemed to realise that it was a trap, but it was too late. 

"Marucho! You're the only one who can save me, Marucho! Oh save me, I'm so scared I'm gonna cry!" He cried in Dan's voice. He overstepped there a little, but the two Brawlers entered the gates nonetheless.

"Transport successful, however, the subjects are unconscious," Volt read professor Clay's message. "Shadow, he also says your mechanical Bakugan is ready and waiting for you in Gamma City."

"Oh yeah! I'm gonna take down Shun for good!" He jumped.

"We have yet to decide who will battle whom," she sighed.

"I thought it was clear as day! You battle at the waterfall where Ace is, Volt goes to the desert and I'll battle Shun in the darkness of the night!" He said and she had to admit he was right, that _was_ the most logical solution. But Shun was a tough brawler who even defeated her. _Was Shadow strong enough to take him down?_ "Aw, sweet! Mylene, look at these numbers!" He showed her a screen with his new Bakugan's stats. _'Okay,'_ she thought, _'with a Bakugan like this, even Shadow can defeat Shun.'_

"Everyone, you know your destinations, so take your ships and go." They all went into the hangar. Volt left quickly. Before Shadow climbed into the cockpit of his ship, she stopped him by placing her hand on his shoulder. 

"Don't crash," she said and immediately left. _She was not worried about him. Not at all. It was just... every time she let him out of her sight, something bad happened. Not to him, he was smart enough to keep himself out of harm's way, but he somehow always managed to cause harm to others. She just hoped that this time, the only one to receive the damage will be Shun._

\---

Volt hated this job so much.

"It's bad enough that I'm the one stuck battling the dweeb of the Resistance, but now I have to find him too? It just figures he would get himself lost in a sandstorm," he complained to his Bakugan partner.

"It seems like a win-win situation to me," Brontes said, as optimistic as ever. This was something Volt appreciated a lot about him. He kept being bright, no matter how dark the situation seemed to be. "Either the little loser fries in the desert or you and I burn him in battle. It's almost poetic, don't you think?" This immaturity and disrespect towards his opponents was a downside of him.

"You know I'm not into poetry."

"Oh, of course, Volt. Still, you should lighten up a little. We can take it easy, there's no way he could defeat us."

"Where is he anyway? I've been across this desert ten times and there's still no sign of him." As if the ship heard him, the radar picked up a life signal.

"Let's finally get to business!" Brontes cheered.

But when they came closer, they could only see a gigantic pit and Marucho, stubbornly crawling out of it. He took a rope.

"You aren't planning to help him, are you?" Brontes asked.

"We're supposed to capture him, not to let him die." Volt did not have the nerves to explain to him that he does not want to be responsible for someone's death, even if that someone is not a vestal. 

He threw one end of the rope into the pit and held the other firmly. He felt tugging as Marucho caught it and started to climb up.

"Volt?" He gasped. _Who did he expect?_

"Better off in the sandpit," his Bakugan whined.

"You saved us?" Marucho asked. Volt's patience was running out. Also, this little boy was a bit heavier than he anticipated and his the rope was pressing unpleasantly against his hands despite the gloves.

"You're wasting time, get climbing," he grunted. "You're pretty tough for a little squirt," he admitted when Marucho finally emerged from the pit and fell on all four, breathing heavily. 

"I don't get it, we're sworn enemies! Why are you helping me?" He asked. _If only he just said 'Thank you' instead of asking stupid questions._

"One reason:" he sighed. He will explain, slowly and clearly so that he does not have to repeat himself. "The desert is no end for a warrior and despite your size, you've proven to be a worthy opponent. A brawler's fate is decided in battle. That's how the Vexos do it." This was something Volt learned shortly before he joined the Vexos. 

\---

_"What a surprise! Ladies and gentlemen, Volt Luster is victorious once more! This young man overcame our expectations as easily as all of his opponents! He may be poor, but he has proven to be rich in spirit! And he has earned the right to face a member of the Vexos in the next round! Let's see if he can stay undefeated in the arena!"_

_Volt waved his few fans on the tribunes and retreated backstage. The tournament was exhausting. Before, he has never gotten through the first round, but he refused to give up. He trained a lot and now, he made his way into the finals flawlessly. But he brawled so many times today that he was starting to feel really tired._

_The Vexos he will be battling now will be fresh and ready. He has to pull himself together. This is the opportunity he has been waiting for his entire life. He can finally become a member of the Vexos and ensure a better life for the poorest families like his own. People of low education had a rough life. Forced to stay in the suburbs, they lived with little money and in horrible conditions._

_The entire neighbourhood was surprised when that quiet Luster boy was accepted into a high school. No one knew where that intellect came from, and he had no idea how he got in himself. He struggled during his studies, but he barely managed to successfully graduate._

_He saw in his home that the people were just as smart as he was, only twenty years older. He realised that if they entered the school a few years later, they would pass high school with no problems. Which is why he decided to make it all the way up into the Vexos and change the law so that they can._

_He turned behind a corner and immediately stepped back to hide his presence. He saw two familiar figures in even more familiar uniforms. It was Spectra, cornering Shadow against a locked door. As far as he knew, Shadow was supposed to battle him in the finals. But why is Spectra here, too? Will he be watching?_

_"I have had enough of you, Shadow Prove," Spectra stated with a hint of hostility._

_"What do you mean?" Shadow asked, but he did not sound scared at all. If anything, he was curious._

_"Mylene may baby you around, but I. Will. Not. You are weak. Nobleman or not, if you lose the match today, you are out. Do you understand?"_

_"Suuure, no need to be so intense. I'll crush that boy, don't worry," Shadow backed out. Volt grimaced. He was sure that 'that boy' was at least six years older than Shadow was._

_But he was glad. Now he knew that Spectra will be watching the battle. And he will make sure to become a member of the Vexos, even if it means he and Brontes will have to take out Shadow Prove for good._

\---

Marucho tried hard, but his princess jester Bakugan could not even begin to compare to Brontes and his new cybernetic toy, Dynamo. He tied him up, just to be sure, loaded him into the ship and left.

When he entered the main hall of the Vestal Destroyer, Mylene was sitting on Spectra's chair. 

"You're finally back, Volt," she welcomed him. "The news better be good. For your sake, that is."

"Sealed and delivered," he confirmed, suppressing a roll of his eyes. "The dweeb was pretty tough, but in the end, I won. Now, we wait for Shadow Prove. He better not blow it," he looked into her eyes, making his last sentence sound like a threat.

"He won't," she smirked confidently, "professor Clay will see to that." The floor rocked a little as the Vestal Destroyer dove into the lake surrounding Beta City. "I just hope he hurries. Our guests will get lonely without their friends."

Volt let out a subtle sigh when she began to boss around all of the servants from her high chair, obviously enjoying her newly gained power. He did not particularly care about who is in charge as long as he can help him achieve his goals, and when he found out that the Vexos are meant to do dirty work for Hydron instead of being advisors for the royal family like they were supposed to, he stopped caring completely. If he cannot persuade the king to change the unjust laws, then why is he in the Vexos? Should he quit? No, it is too soon for that. Perhaps he will get a chance in the future. Besides, governing a city was a very satisfying work to do.

\---

Shadow was in love. With this mission, to be precise. He was really looking forward to this battle. He found a perfect location for it, too. Not far from Beta City, there was a settlement of wooden houses. No one knew where it came from, but it was definitely not of vestal origin. He decided to dress up as well, the only reason for it being that he loved dressing up.

When Shun entered the abandoned village, Shadow was standing on a balcony in a brown hat and a black robe with yellow designs.

"Howdy, partner," he greeted. Shun stopped his confident steps abruptly and looked up with shock and confusion clearly written across his features. Shadow felt twisted pleasure in his stomach. He managed to sneak up on the sneaky ninja. "We don't like strangers around these parts," he mocked, hoping to have a bit more fun. However, Shun ruined all of that when his expression turned neutral again. 

"Really?" He asked in a completely monotone voice. 

"You see, Beta City is my territory. We can't have trespassers like you making trouble. If I were you, I'd clear out. Or," he paused and distanced from the wall he was leaning on to look directly on Shun from behind the rail, "you can stay, and I'll teach you some manners Vexos style!" He laughed.

"You talk big, Shadow Prove," Shun stated, turning away, "but I have a job to do and you can't stop me: save the Bakugan, save New Vestroia, and then, save my old partner." He closed his eyes as if he was drowning in memories. "I'd let us pass if I were you." Shadow's grin grew even wider. He could not wait to crush this emo ninja under the heel of his metal boots. 

"I'm gonna cry," he said laughing, placing a foot on the rail and readying himself to jump. "But since I know you've come to destroy the Dimension Controller in Beta City," he jumped down with a spin, throwing his mock-disguise away, "I won't." He lifted his chin to look directly into Shun's eyes. "So tell me, punk: Think you can get by me?"

"Maybe not," Shun put his bag and cloak down, "but it's time for me to find out. Let's get down to business."

\---

All of his threats were empty. He was completely overwhelmed by Hades' power. Throwing Fortress in was merely for the sake of his own amusement. He grabbed the unconscious Shun by his leg and dragged him into Beta City, laughing the whole time. This was so much fun. He kept laughing even when he met up with Volt and Mylene at the entrance and took the elevator down until Mylene stopped him.

"Stop laughing, you hyena!" He was glad to hear that she did not have to ask whether he won or not. She had so much trust in him.

They entered the room in the arena building where the three new prisoners were stored. 

"Glad I'm not them," Volt said.

"They're nothing more than defeated opponents to me. I don't care what Hydron does with them," Mylene emphasised. _'I wonder what will happen to them now?'_ Shadow translated for himself. "Sympathy is for the weak," she added.

"They don't look so tough now," Shadow agreed. "Now, all we have to do is make sure the other losers stay trapped on Earth forever." He laughed and to his surprise, Mylene joined him.

"Then no one will ever stand in our way again."

\--- 

Gus rushed back to the storage house. He tried not to think about how could he possibly pay back his debt to the man at the shop and concentrated on the contents of his bag. He will finally be able to taste juice! Master Spectra will definitely be pleased! 

"Master Spectra, wake up! Did you know Earth has juice in boxes?" 

But Spectra was not there.


	7. Staying Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spectra doubts himself, and for a good reason. After all, he might not be the sanest person. Gus doubts Spectra too, but his reasoning is not as solid.

#### Episode 68 - Show me the power!

It was a restless night for Spectra. He felt as if he had a tornado in his head. His thoughts were constantly in motion and he was unable to calm them down. Worries, doubts and regrets were swirling on his mind like a storm in form of what-if scenarios, effectively scaring the sleep out of him. He put his mask on, deciding to block it all out. He will go for a walk and clear his head a little. He threw his coat over himself and stepped into the cold morning. 

The sky was painted in beautiful azure and illuminated by the sun. It seemed that Earth only has one sun and irregular weather, similarly to New Vestroia. Vestal was very different in that aspect. It has four smaller suns orbiting around it. They look and are completely the same, orbit in the same track and their distances from each other are the same, so they create a shiny ring around Vestal's equator. It is thanks to them that the atmosphere of Vestal is always pleasantly warm and only interrupted by rain every tenth day.

He was lost in his thoughts so far that he did not even notice Gus' absence. If he did, his worries would increase tenfold. Gus was not a person who would go out often. As long as he did not have work to do or any time he could not follow Spectra somewhere, he always stayed behind in the Vestal Destroyer and patiently awaited Spectra's return. Spectra was always glad to have someone to welcome him home.

But barely any of his thoughts belonged to his beloved right now. He could not stop thinking about the Resistance. And his sister. Why did they refuse to join him? Why do they always refuse anything he proposes? It is so difficult to negotiate with children. Their way of thinking is totally different. What were those things they always say? They fight for their friends and that is what makes them stronger? That does not even make sense. If strength was decided by the number of people one is fighting for, Spectra would always be victorious.

Out of nowhere, dark clouds covered the sky and it started raining. Spectra could not remember how long has it been since he was outside in rain, but it was very long. At that time, he lived a normal life in Alpha City with his sister. Well, 'normal' was an understatement.

Their family was known all over the planet for their achievements in various fields of science and their father was increasing the prestige of the name Fermin with each and every one of his inventions. But Keith was not very far behind. Everything began when he was eighteen. In this age, every vestal is given a test of natural intellect. Its results show the child's potential and decide what level of education will he receive: high, middle or low. People had high expectations for the young Fermin, but he overcame them all. His score exceeded all records, including his father's.

All vestals finish their basic education at school at thirty-five. After that, they have time until forty-five to choose a position to apply for, but no one doubted that Keith will become a scientist. Even though it is not that simple to get a job on Vestal, because every workplace has a set number of positions and successfully finishing high education was not a guarantee of getting a place in a science lab, Keith was accepted without hesitation into the most renowned laboratory: his father's. And as if that was not enough, he got to share his father's position as the head of the laboratory from the very beginning. 

There are usually two to four people for one position and they are switching to cover all 24 hours every day, so Keith worked in the lab when his father was not around and vice versa. The problem was that they were only two on the position, forcing the young boy to spend twelve hours a day in the laboratory. Clay used to share his position with his wife, but she died before Keith started school and Clay refused to accept having anyone else but his son help him. It was a bit stressful because aside from his apprenticeship in the laboratory, Keith also studied at a science university nearby, but he never failed to come back home when he was free and spend some time with his little sister.

On the outside, he seemed to be a genius scientist whose inventions will carve the way into an even brighter future. Yet he never was interested in science in the first place. It was just something he knew he will need to achieve his goal.

He thought that the way king Zenoheld rules Vestal is wrong. He never said it out loud. He just worked silently pretending to be a normal citizen and collecting pieces. He knew he has to be more powerful than the king to overthrow him. 

He had the power of science on his side, but that was by far not enough. It seemed that the future of Vestal will be heavily influenced by their newest discovery: mysterious creatures known as the Bakugan and their home planet, New Vestroia. He will need the power of the Bakugan, as well as the support of the people. 

That was why he decided to leave his identity behind and try his luck with a new name, new look and new boss, king Zenoheld, his nemesis himself. He became a legend ever since his very first match in the arena. He knew the powers of Bakugan from his work in the lab and he was able to draw them out. And Helios was the best Bakugan he could ever ask for. He had a lot of potential inside of him, but had no idea and tried to get more powerful, but all the power just hid somewhere inside of him and since he could not use it, he felt as weak as ever. But Spectra was able to see all of his power and forced him into using it. Helios found out he was more powerful than he thought, and became obsessed with gaining more power, just like Spectra. They crushed every opponent with ease and Spectra forgot about his family. All he needed was power. He hid his past and his emotions behind a mask he never meant to take off. 

But now, his sister did. And he was more confused than ever. Does he need the power of friendship? 

No. All he needed was the power of the Perfect Core. The one that Drago possesses. And if he will not give it to him willingly, he will have to take it by force.

"You spend too much time thinking of the past. What's done is done. Luckily, I can tell you what your future holds in my crystal ball. Oh, it's really bad. You will suffer a terrible fate if you stay on the path you've chosen," a woman addressed Spectra. He just laughed.

 _'Oh, really? You don't say.'_

He knew that very well.

\---

Gus had no idea what to do. 

_Where could master Spectra have wandered off to? What if he got lost? What if he is freezing somewhere? What if he got hurt? What if he died?_

As far as Gus knew him, he could have gone anywhere. He did anything he wanted. He acted based on spontaneous decisions leading to his goal. Gus believed in his master and knew he will be fine. 

Or did he? 

Doubts started crawling onto Gus' mind. 

_What if Spectra is somewhere with that girl, Mira? Walking in the streets... Hand in hand... Talking with each other... Then, suddenly, he confesses his feelings to her... Kisses her... The same soft sweet kisses Gus used to get... She was into Spectra as well... For sure... The whole time... Why else would she insist on him taking off the mask... She would kiss him back... And he will stay with her... Leaving Gus behind... In this strange place... All alone... And even if they all managed to get back, Spectra will join the Resistance... He will be forced to fight against him... Mylene would become the leader of the Vexos..._

_Would he even be able to do that? No, he would have no reason to stay with the Vexos if master Spectra was not there. He would follow him into the Resistance. But master will not need him anymore... He would be just a nuisance from the past... He would have better allies... His beloved girlfriend Mira... And Dan Kuso... And the others as well... Gus should have seen this coming... This was the reason Spectra came to Earth... And when Gus wanted to go with him, he decided to ditch him here... And Spectra will live a happy life with Mira... And marry her... And have children... She will give him everything Gus could not. He should be happy for him, but he was a horribly selfish person. He wanted master Spectra all for himself._

He will make sure no one will ever touch him. _Not even her... But she may be touching him right now..._

Gus' heart was beating faster and faster. The jealousy was slowly killing him. He has never been in more pain than right now. He felt like his heart was breaking into pieces. Suddenly, Spectra was there. In front of the door. But Gus was neither happy nor relieved. He was frightened.

"Master! I thought you ditched me! You should not go out on your own, this world is so strange! I thought you got hit by a bus or something! You should have called me, or left a note, master!" Gus had to know what was all of this about. His panicking mind made his hands tremble and his breathing was shallow and fast. Somehow, he could not stand still.

"Since when are you my mother, Gus?" Spectra's usual sarcastic response calmed him a bit. But Gus had to find out more. He hated the fact he knew nothing. He decided to approach cautiously, though. It would be bad to start an argument with master Spectra now. He led Spectra towards the food he brought. They set up a makeshift table from two crates and prepared their breakfast. The taste of human food was unusual, but it was edible and they were so hungry that none of that mattered anyway. 

"Since never. But you keep me completely in the dark. You treat those Battle Brawlers with more respect. I do not get why we need to have them on our side. I am as good a brawler as any of them except Dan Kuso," Gus explained his distress. The food helped him to calm down a little. He wanted to say more, but he was interrupted.

"You do not get it, Gus. It is not the Battle Brawlers that we need. It is the power of their Bakugan. I am tired of waiting. Make contact with Dan Kuso. I tried to make him see reason, now I will have to take his Pyrus Dragonoid by force." Spectra was right. Gus did not get it. At all. He tried to follow his master's train of thought and failed. That happened sometimes, he was quite used to it. But even though he did not understand completely, he trusted Spectra's decisions. There was always some sort of logic behind it, and he knew that master Spectra is smarter than anyone else.

He activated one of his homing bees and let Spectra send a message to Dan Kuso. But he definitely did not like it. Did he just say 'Alone'?

"Why can't I go with you? If something goes wrong, you might need me and Vulcan!" Gus had his doubts. His previous calmness was gone once more and tears from the overload of emotions were already gathering in his eyes. Spectra turned around.

"Did you truly believe that I cannot defeat one foolish earthling?" Gus froze. He had no idea what to say. This sentence, the tone, the way he looked at him... It made him believe again. He regained his trust towards his master. All the power and authority emitting out of him... Gus was reminded of why was he following Spectra the whole time. 

How could he ever wish to be his equal? He was way out of his league. There was no way but to obey him. He could not even look into his eyes. The respect he felt forced him to bow his head and fall on his knees.

"N-no! No way! Dan Kuso is no match for your devastating power, master Spectra. Forgive me. I was just kidding." It may have only sounded like empty flattery, but he meant what he said. 

"Glad to hear it, Gus." Gus was also glad. Everything was back to normal. He finally knew what he should do. He should stop worrying about himself and begin to worry about master Spectra. 

"It is bad weather for a Pyrus battle."

"We are not afraid of a little rain, right, Helios?"

"No rain could douse the flames that burn within me!" Gus could see that Spectra was very pleased with that answer. 

"You are eager for a rematch!"

"Yes. The Dragonoid would never have defeated me without the power of the Perfect Core. I must have revenge!" 

"Oh, you will. No doubt about that." There was something dangerous in the way Spectra said it. He had a plan. "Well then, I'll be off," he looked at Gus, who smiled at him.

"Come back soon.".

\---

Naturally, the battle resulted in Spectra's victory. Well, it was not natural. He used the Forbidden Ability Cards, and those are everything but natural. He was headed back into the storage house, when suddenly...

 _'Poor Dan.'_ What was that voice? Spectra looked around him. He could not see anyone. Then where did that voice come from? It sounded somehow familiar. _'Poor Helios. The Card must have caused him terrible pain.'_

_'Helios is strong enough to endure it. Besides, he asked me to use the Card.'_ Spectra answered the voice in his head and decided to ignore it.

 _'No, he did not. And I have come to talk to you, so don't you dare ignore me, Spectra!'_ Spectra realised who is he talking to.

 _'What do you want?'_

_'You mean, what do YOU want, Spectra?'_

_'I do not want anything from you.'_

_'You do. You want answers. You were doubting yourself. You wanted to know whether you have changed or not. And I know the answer. You have changed. A lot. You are the opposite of me. I was kind, but you are cruel and uncaring. You are a heartless monster, Spectra.'_

\---

"Oh dear! Your future is even darker than before! You must have done something pretty terrible since the last time I saw you here." The fortune teller was looking at the strange masked man she had already seen in the morning. He was surrounded by a powerful aura.

"I've heard enough, you foolish old woman!" Her ball cracked and split in half. She fell back, frightened. Her crystal ball has never before reacted to anyone like this. _Just who is this person?_ She hoped that this foreigner will not stay in their city longer than necessary.

\---

_'Why should I care what a fortune teller thinks? All that matters is reaching my ultimate goal! All that matters is the final victory!'_

_'Oh, really? And what about all the people you hurt? Dan has lost his lifetime partner, he must be pretty messed up. Mira is watching him and praying for me to return and for you to disappear. Even the Vexos are in bad shape thanks to you gone and Mylene taking over as the leader. And if you do not care about them, how about Gus? He may be fine now, but do you know how much suffering have you caused him? You do know, but you do not care. You only care about yourself and bring people around you misery. If you continue like this...'_ Spectra could not listen to this any longer.

_'Shut it, Keith!'_


End file.
